Dreaming and Memorials

I had the strangest dream of buying jewelry this morning. I was looking at seahorse earrings carved entirely of amber and getting irritated that they were so expensive. There were some bronze ones that were cheaper, but I didn't want them because I knew they'd tangle in my hair. There were turtle/tortoise rings also made of bronze that I was considering. Late in the dream, I went to slip a silver band of leaves on my left ring finger, and I saw an elephant head carved from bone already there. The ends of its ears were broken off, and that made me sad.

I'm probably getting a stylized turtle tattoo this afternoon as a memorial for my sister. I found this one online and knew it was perfect:



On mine, the shell knot will be yellow while the leg bands, eyes, and tail will be orange -- Stacy's favorite colors. The toenails of each foot will be different colors (one color for each foot) -- red, yellow, black, and white -- for the Lakota medicine wheel. In the months before her death, Stacy was becoming more and more interested in our Scottish/Celtic and Lakota heritages, and turtle was her primary totem. I almost have this feeling my sister is trying to bind turtle to me.

I'm also going to get a line or two of one of Paul's poems for his memorial. I don't think I'll get it today, but definitely before I go back to NO. This is the poem I've chosen -- it's one I've carried with me for a long time:

Words Never Spoken

Love never sought can never be found,
Through the storm raging beyond and within.
Quiet yourself and wonder how
My words remain with you long after
The sound has fled away. When all is still
Except your thundering soul; Look beyond
The fears your mind contrives to send
Your heart to distract: Listen to my words
Never spoken, but silently heard to
Engage your heart in this glorious meaning
To this life, often meaningless.