Dreams

I have been pondering the value of dreams (desires, goals, not sleep fantasies). Coincidentally, many things I’ve read in the past week have related to “dreams”. I picked up a book of Langston Hughes' poetry at school and found:

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams,

You dreamers,

Bring me all of your

Heart melodies

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough fingers

Of the world.

Langston Hughes

Water-Front Streets

The spring is not so beautiful there--

But dream ships sail away

To where the spring is wondrous rare

And life is gay.

The Spring is not so beautiful there--

But lads put out to sea

Who carry beauties in their hearts

And dreams, like me.

Langston Hughes

Dream Variation

To fling my arms wide

In some place of the sun,

To whirl and to dance

Till the white day is done.

Then rest at cool evening

Beneath a tall tree

While night comes on gently,

Dark like me--

That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide

In the face of the sun,

Dance! Whirl! Whirl!

Till the quick day is done.

Rest at pale evening....

A tall, slim tree....

Night coming tenderly

Black like me.

Langston Hughes

As I Grew Older

It was a long time ago.

I have almost forgotten my dream.

But it was there then,

In front of me,

Bright like a sun--

My dream.

And then the wall rose,

Rose slowly,

Slowly,

Between me and my dream.

Rose slowly, slowly,

Dimming,

Hiding,

The light of my dream.

Rose until it touched the sky--

The wall.

Shadow.

I am black.

I lie down in the shadow.

No longer the light of my dream before me,

Above me.

Only the thick wall.

Only the shadow.

My hands!

My dark hands!

Break through the wall!

Find my dream!

Help me to shatter this darkness,

To smash this night,

To break this shadow

Into a thousand lights of sun,

Into a thousand whirling dreams

Of sun!

Langston Hughes

Do you have dreams? Have you given up on them? This is what I am wondering about for myself. It seems I still have many dreams, but is there an age limit when it is no longer appropriate, even silly? I will post these to get you thinking and write again in a while.