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I Dream a World
Our Host
Denise Krebs is enjoying writing poetry with this community–the teacher-poets here inspired her to find her voice. Denise has taught kindergarten through grade 8 in California, Iowa, Arizona and Bahrain. She is volunteering at her school now and enjoying more time to cook, bake, create, write, and tell stories. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @mrsdkrebs. She co-authored The Genius Hour Guidebook and blogs at Dare to Care.
Inspiration
During the spring, a poem of the day on Poets.org was by Margaret Noodin. She was inspired by Langston Hughes to dream for the world. About the process she said, “With all we’ve lost and learned this past year, and all that remains to be repaired, I thought perhaps we should all sit down and dream harder and more often with more clarity and infinite diversity.” She inspired me to stop and dream a while. That’s where our poem is going today.
Margaret Noodin wrote her poem in both Ojibwe and English after Langston Hughes’ “I Dream a World.” Here is the first part of her poem. Do click the link to read or listen to her reading her whole poem.
Nimbawaadaan Akiing / I Dream a World
By Margaret Noodin
Nimbawaadaan akiing
I dream a world
atemagag biinaagami
of clean water
gete-mitigoog
ancient trees
gaye gwekaanimad
and changing winds.
Process
Today, let’s dream for the world harder, more often, and with more clarity and diversity. I look forward to reading your dreams today.
Ideas:
- Try a couplet poem in ABCB, like Langston Hughes did. I tried this, using his title phrase and last line of “I Dream a World” for my own poem.
- Use Margaret Noodin’s inspiration by writing in two languages, one line after the other about your dream for the world.
- Choose any form you want to experiment with or free verse and write about your infinitely diverse dreams for the world.
- Write whatever is on your heart and mind today.
Original Poem
I Dream a World
By Denise Krebs
After Langston Hughes
I dream a world where peace
And justice will embrace
A world of hope, a future
Overflowing with grace
I dream of a world where
Yielding power prevails
A world where all peoples
Will prosper, not in travail
A world all gathered with
Flags of peace unfurled
Hope born of love–not hate
Of such I dream, my world!
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
I have been marinating all day on what I dream about. Not sure I conveyed all I wanted but here is what I am at.
I
Dream a
World where love
Truly is love
No matter what
People
Judged for
Character and actions
Not skin color
Or sexual
Orientation
Kids
Not separated
From their families
Families stick together
World I
Dream
DeAnna,
I love the direct and so so true dreams–that shouldn’t be prevented but for ignorance–expressed in a clear way. It feels a little like the rhythm of MLK’s “I Have a Dream.”
You know I am a huge MLK fan-girl, however until I read your comment I didn’t realize that it does have that rhythm. This poem just jump to the top of my favorite list now.
I adore your ending, DeAnna…as if you are addressing the World, letting her know you are on her side!
DeAnna, your sweet poem speaks so much truth. I’m especially struck with the simple third stanza–families together in safety, that is a world to dream of.
DeAnna, the simplicity of this poem is striking. I think you chose a good form to convey these profound yet simple dreams.
This is my poem, inspired by Dreams by Langston Hughes. My daughter recited this once at a Black History program at church and it just stuck with me. I started writing and I couldn’t stop, but I did. Enjoy!
Hold fast to dreams for they can become a true reality.
Record them now because it does no good wishing
For lost hope from lost souls with no initiative,
so no one will develop a scheme for phishing.
Hold fast to dreams, you need no one’s permission.
Carefully blinded by false ambitions as your goals slip away,
Focus on the grand prize no time for second place,
Don’t trade off tomorrow for what can be done today.
Hold fast to dreams, let God make them plain.
The vision He stored was for you and your hands.
Kill the excuses and resurrect the drive within,
Block out the unnecessary dig deep to unearth your plans.
Hold fast to dreams for they dissipate quick,
Time is infinite yet limited when those deadlines approach,
There’s no time for crying when they didn’t transpire.
Take the fault for ricocheting fear by releasing self reproach.
Hold fast to dreams, let your signature be your last hoorah,
A bloody sense of accomplishment, suffering through pain and pride.
No more empty promises of “One day” and “Soon”,
Victory through failure with happiness no longer denied.
Jess, wow, I’m so glad you kept writing. I love the inspiration from Langston Hughes through your daughter’s recitation. So lovely.
I’ve read your poem three times, and with each reading, these lines grab me:
I like reading it aloud. There are so many other powerful phrases:
“ricocheting fear” “victory through failure” and “dig deep to unearth your plans”
Thank you for your poem today.
I got chills re-reading this. Thank you!
Jessica, be sure to see Anna’s poem inspired by yours on Monday’s prompt: http://www.ethicalela.com/teacher-poet-mentor-poem/#comment-40507
I dream a world where grades
Belong to milk
Or highway inclines.
Where scores are used
In golf
Or to prep salmon for the grill.
Where A, B, C, D, F
Are tinkling notes
On a baby grand.
Where students are valued
For who they are.
Just as they are.
Allison, let me be in this world. Let me teach in this world. Oh, how I’ve missed your writing! Thank you for this today 🙂
Allison—I would love to live in this world of yours!!
Allison, If I could “heart” this a thousand times, I would! This is eloquently representative of education today. I could relate to your phrase “where grades belonging on milk or highway inclines”. If only sincere and passionate educators ran the world!
Allison, I loved this! (It took me a moment, I’m a bit chagrined to admit, to “get” your first stanza, but when I did, I legit laughed out loud. I was like, “where grades / Belong to milk” Milk?…skim…low-fat…soy….2%…oh…OH! LOL). Thanks for this!
Allison,
That would be a wonderful world to live in. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, my, Allison. I dream often of this world without grades and scores. This is so very fun and beautiful and should be shared at many a board meeting. Thank you, Allison!
Thanks for an awesome reflection, Denise! It was a great opportunity to sit down with my pen and notebook and write about a world I’d love to see. I started with a funny poem, but then it morphed into something more serious. Thanks for reading the hybrid poem!
By coming together,
we turned Climate Change around.
The hope we had lost
has finally been found.
A lot of progress
has been made–
like Black reparations
are finally being paid
no one has to worry
about medical care,
for the health of everyone
is a community affair
land rent here goes
to the Kalapuya tribe,
and all students love going to school–
even more than I can describe.
While these are only
a few things on my list,
it would also be cool
if calories didn’t exist.
Rachelle,
Oh, if wishes could come true! So much truth and desire in this poem–and all worthy and reasonable wants, too. Imagining a better future–you nailed it (calories included).
Rachelle, first: magnificent rhyming! It flows so well, so unforced. Second, your content is amazing – climate change, reparations, medical care, the Kalapuya tribe; I am in awe of how you worked these big things into your spare lines. It’s a feat. And I LOVE the ending – perfect light note after much heaviness (um, no pun intended!)
Rachelle, I love how your poem speaks from the perspective of the dream world’s actuality. Each stanza game me hope, and the last one made me grin! <3
Rachelle, those dreaded calories!!!! Your last four lines sums up my summer of trying to stay healthy. Thank you for sharing! Reparations…finally. Yet still so much more progress to go!
Rachelle,
Yes, yes, yes. I would love to live in that world. Beautifully written.
Rachelle, I love the place you took your dreams into a bright new heaven and earth future. Wow! Funny wrap up too. I’m glad you had fun with this. As Fran said, the rhyming is spot on. I love it when you don’t notice awkward spots in the rhyme, but it just adds to the overall effect of the poem.
Rachelle, how creative and witty! Each stanza feels tight and solid, well crafted. So delightful to read!
Another deeply inspiring offering, Denise – thank you for the magnificent resources and your own moving verse. All people prospering, hope and love over hate – oh yes, take me with you!
Took me a long while to get going with this…
I dream a world
where Wisdom walks the thoroughfares
holding her lantern high
where Mercy kneels in lamplit paths
unfastening her cloak to enshroud
the transgressed
and the transgressor
where Comfort seeks out the lonely, the broken
to offer a cup of cheer, leaning in
with her elbows on the table
and her palm outstretched
where Truth looks up from the old rocker
in the corner by the bookcase
pushing his spectacles back up on his nose
as he turns the page of an ancient volume
but not before smiling at the twins
Mystery and Miracles
playing at his feet
in the flickering circle of lamplight
while Love closes the curtains
humming, always humming
her beautiful song
tears glistening like diamonds
on her cheeks
and where Judgment pauses at the door
listening, one skeletal hand raised to knock
but reconsiders
and chooses to leave
giving a curt nod to Wisdom and Mercy
and stepping aside as they pass by
—I dream a world.
Pure brilliance, Fran. The ideas alone make this work, but you employ incredible sound devices and clever figurative language. Personifying those keys traits really make this poem work.
Wow, Fran! I love the personification you used in your poem. I wish I would have thought of that. The traits you picked are powerful.
where Truth looks up from the old rocker
in the corner by the bookcase
pushing his spectacles back up on his nose
as he turns the page of an ancient volume
but not before smiling at the twins
Mystery and Miracles
playing at his feet
wow. Just wow.
Oh, Fran, what can I say? I want to use this as a study in personification. I love those characters more after reading your poem, and Judgment even chooses to stay away. Wow, just wow! This one could be published! Such a beauty.
I Dream a World
By Tammi Belko
Where we pause and listen,
where we connect with and
walk alongside,
mindful not to trample upon our brothers
where we open veins of empathy & emotion,
create a wellspring of love flowing freely
I dream a world
where we pause and listen
hear the stifled cries of marginalized
in the world where they are silenced
I dream a world where we
bring light to those in the periphery
hope to those in shadows
I Dream a World
where we pause and listen
pause and listen
pause and listen …
Tammi,
This is such a sweet poem. I especially love
Tammi – the repetition of those final lines is so powerful. I cling to the word “listen” throughout the poem, as it’s all about truly taking in the messages of pain and suffering around us (not to mention nature and song and one’s conscience, but those are other “listenings”!). I can sense the “empathy and emotion” and “wellspring of love flowing freely” through your words.
The repetition of “pause and listen” made me SLOW down while I was reading this poem. Thank you for this reflection today, Tammi. The repetition is perfect.
I love the message of your poem. “where we open veins of empathy” and “where we bring light to those in the periphery” were two of my favorite lines. Thank you.
Tammi, I loved the repetition of “pause and listen” in your poem. And I wholeheartedly agree with you, listening with “empathy & emotion” is so important in our world. (I also really liked your crafting of the sound of “cries” and “marginalized.”) Thank you for writing and sharing this!
Tammi, your repeating “pause and listen” at the end made me go back and reread your whole poem. It makes me want to listen to the marginalized and do better today. Thank you.
I Dream A World
I dream a world
in which people
consider others
a world
in which people
forgive one another
I dream a world
in which people
have all they need
a world
in which people
see past their greed
I dream a world
in which people
get along
a world
in which people
love strong
So love the anaphora of “in which people” to position us alongside and then the last two lines linger just how this all happens–“love strong”.
Donnetta, I love how straightforward and simple these dreams are (consideration, fogiveness, getting along and love). Wonder why it has to be so difficult for our world today. Your dreams would be a wonderful world for all!
Donnetta,
These lines resonate with me:
I dream a world
in which people
have all they need
This stanzas capture my feelings as well.
Donetta, I really like the subtle rhyming of the last words in the stanzas. That helps make your poem flow and helps me, as a reader, to see the continuity among the pieces. I love this word you created, and I will strive for this world to exist.
Donnetta, I love this form you made here with the repetitions of “I dream a world / in which people…” and “a world / in which people…” because then we really focus on those third lines in each stanza. The thoughts are simply stated, powerful messages. The rhymes are great too. Thank you for this lovely poem.
I love the prompt today (thank you!), and though I am not one to rhyme, I decided to challenge myself. This poem is started with my thoughts about my district going ahead with a plan for “integrated honors” in high schools, eliminating tracking of any kind.
I dream of a world without unwelcome expectations
where students aren’t pressured to achieve
in ways that aren’t analogous to their dreams–
where everyone can become anything they conceive.
What has happened to make so many so sure
that every single child should be college bound?
Are too many under a collective delusion that careers
outside of the hallowed halls are no longer found?
In the world of public education, we are heading
for a crisis of too much equality and not a bit
of thought for those who don’t aspire to a degree
and want a path of service, work, and just doing it.
When we offer students fewer choices and wedge
everyone into the same narrow view of a prospect
where each person is given the same education
whether or not it suits, too many will disconnect.
And once again, some bright light of education
will come up with a plan that will work for “everyone.”
What is so wrong with allowing justice and equity?
I dream of a fair world of inspiration for everyone.
Wow!! I completely agree, and you’ve captured my sentiments so perfectly in this piece. Thank you for sharing!
Cara —
This line —
“where everyone can become anything they conceive” — is so powerful. I totally agree. Not every child is college bound. I can’t understand why those making educational policies don’t listen to the teachers who work with students everyday.
Powerful reflection, Cara, about this shift that’s taking place in our school district. I am very impressed with your rhyme. As I was writing mine, I felt like I forced a few lines. Yours seems to flow and it really enhances your tone!
Yes!! Yes!! Well said. And once again…a plan that will work for “everyone”. ha!
Cara, these lines,
“And once again, some bright light of education
will come up with a plan that will work for “everyone.”
What is so wrong with allowing justice and equity?
I dream of a fair world of inspiration for everyone.”
I interpreted that “bright light” as being a facetious remark. I wish someone would just let us teachers make the laws, plan the curriculum, oh and more importantly love and respect our students! Thank you for these beautiful words!
Cara,
Very powerful dreams. I know you care about the right fit for each student and not the cookie cutter education that seems to get pushed on teachers.
Also, proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and using rhyme.
Cara, thank you for writing this piece. What a great way to process your thoughts about the educational programming at your school district. I agree justice and equity over equality is more important. Nice challenge taken and pulled off with those good rhymes.
Oh Cara, what interesting and thoughtful questioning of the integrated honors concept. I enjoyed reading this, and you’ve definitely captured a strong argument in a poem. Never mind persuasive essays. Persuasive poems!
I Dream a World
where those who’ve
left us can return once a year
to whisper in our ears
to receive hugs and kisses
to give advice or just listen
can reveal wondered secrets
I dream a world
where multiple loves
and multiple lives
can exist
without feelings
of betrayal.
Where lovers can live
freely with whomever
they want for as long
as they want
I dream a world
where women can
demand a six figure salary
no matter what their
occupation is.
Where fathers can carry the
fetus and breast feed.
I’ve dreamed of this world
often.
I so wish those who’ve left us could indeed make an appearance sometimes, even if just to sit at the feet of their wisdom. ? Beautiful.
Oh my!!! What a wonderful world indeed, “fathers can carry the fetus and breast feed!” Gotta love this.
I would be soooo happy to live in your world.
?
Seana,
Your beautiful poem brought tears to my eyes. My father and I reminisced today about my mother who left us two years ago, and oh how I too wish that “those who’ve/left us can return once a year/to whisper in our ears/to receive hugs and kisses/to give advice or just listen/can reveal wondered secrets
Thank you so much for your poem.
Seana,
Your world sure holds appeal.
I love your first stanza.
Oh, Seana, this was a treat! I love the imaginative worlds you see and how you’ve captured it with a strong, confident voice!
Wow, what a poem! I love the way it develops. It does from the more general to the ultra specific dream that makes me smile, and your last “often” cracked me up. Yes, indeed! Thanks, Seana!
A dream for a more personal world:
I dream a world confident
Where a stranger’s side-long glance doesn’t
Prompt the questions: skin? class?
Where you walk reveled and unconcerned
I dream a world healed
Where your scars are beauty marks
And memories of those that did them to you
Are pierced and drained of pain
I dream a world redeemed
Where the mistakes I’ve made, remain my mistakes
And independent of, your self-worth
Courses in your veins
I dream a world secure
Where you love or laugh or cry
A world where no matter what the world gives
You thrive.
Emily,
This is beautiful. I, too, dream this dream, but you expressed it perfectly. I am particularly taken with your third full stanza:
It feels like you were peering into my thoughts. Lovely!
Emily,
Yes! So much truth in your words. These lines: “Where your scars are beauty marks/
And memories of those that did them to you/Are pierced and drained of pain” — really powerful!
Emily, you nailed this one! I love the images you create. There is a nice drama in this poem. Heavy truths vs light hopes. I love the contrast and to read between them. This line particularly sticks out to me: “Where your scars are beauty marks”. There’s so much more to each line of this poem, and, as the reader, I want to know about it. Thank you for writing today!
Emily,
Wow!! You nailed it today. I have these same dreams. Thriving not matter what the world gives is great dream.
Wow, Emily, I love this. I’m especially taken by your second stanza, “Where your scars are beauty marks” and that they can truly be beauty marks because the memories of pain were drained away. Beautiful!
I dream a world where
present fathers are the norm
celebrating is a gift
they don’t bring about a storm
no need to fret about a rift
I dream a world where
involved dads do their fair share
raising kids is a joy
being absent, they wouldn’t even dare
the stereotype, set to destroy
I dream a world where
sacrificial daddies give
without expecting anything in return
committed to transformative
relationships, humbly ready to learn
I dream a world where
men are protectors and
nurturers, fierce yet
gentle.
Having a father who is present is so important for children for so many reasons, and unfortunately, many of us grow up fatherless.
Britt,
I love how you break the stereotype and show father’s not just as protectors but as nurturers. My grandfather very much fit the mold of nurturer. I love seeing dads and grandfathers taking more active parenting roles.
Another lovely dream that includes fathers today. Beautiful, Britt. Yes, it would be great to have stereotypes destroyed regarding these important nurturers.
I Don’t Dream
I don’t dream of a perfect world.
The world I dream of
is filled with imperfection.
Everyday people, living life,
trying their best
to be their best.
It’s a cliché,
but that’s
the world-my world.
A world where
people get hurt,
people make mistakes.
A world where
people forgive
people heal
people rise, and
people fall.
And I’m okay with that.
I accept the world I live in.
Why?
You see, I know better.
Dreaming a different world is just that,
a dream.
The beauty in the imperfect. This speaks to me! Thank you.
I love the embrace of life as it is, the beauty of imperfection.
Your poem is so true. A dream is just a dream. I don’t think a perfect world will ever exist, but I dream for a better world all the same.
Standing and clapping and shouting “Yes, Monica!” I’m appreciating this so very much because to dream of a perfect world would mean I’d have to die. That’s where I believe perfection resides. I love it! Thank you for speaking this truth!
??????????
Monica,
Your title sets up your poem well. “I Don’t Dream” Your poem actually reminds me of some of the calls to actions in poems today: Anna’s “So, let’s get on the ball!” Sarah’s “Get to work” (and did someone else do that too? I can’t find it) Your poem and theirs speak of the emptiness of dreams without action. Thanks for your honesty.
Imagination
I dream of running through waves of blue ocean
with giggling children holding my hand.
My feet float in cool water, my head in the clouds
while I soar high above not touching the land.
I dream of clouds floating over my head
and raining wet drops down on my bed.
I dream of grass growing tall between my toes
and rising high to dispel my woes
while tickling my feet on legs so small
they barely touch the ground
but skim the bubbles that surround.
Wet, soapy orbs that rise to my heart
giving lots of laughter
and each day a fresh start.
I dream of bathing in a tub full of milk
then toweling my body in yards of red silk.
I dream nonsensical wishes to stir up some action
that clears my brain from dissatisfaction.
I dream away from politics, religion and famine
no thinking about murder and loss
no news, hateful actions or other mammon.
I don’t want to take up anyone’s cross.
I dream fantastical visions to take me away
from hateful actions that occur each day.
Escapism some say and maybe so
I dream these dreams so I can “go”
and continue my being and sharing with others
to imagine a world full with my sisters and brothers.
Susan, thank you for reminding us of the genuine, human need to “get away.” Your kaleidoscope of imagery is such a pleasant escape with the “blue ocean,” “grass growing tall between my toes,” and “yards of red silk.” Thank you.
Susan, so much to love here. I like your playful use of rhyming and the way you varied the stanzas and rhyme scheme at times. “wet, soapy orbs that rise to my heart” is fun.
I also liked that even though you were dreaming away from politics, religion and all the others, you still brought them into your poem. It shows that we can’t dream without realizing them too.
I also think the enjambment (I think that’s what you’ve done) is very effective! “so I can go / and continue…” and “stirs up some action / that clears my brain” and others.
Nice poem.
Well, this didn’t go the way I thought it would.
Interrogator of Dreams
What do we dream? We hold
wishes & pretend to hatch new
ideas born of our epiphanies.
We open our hands & release
luminescence filtered through
time’s prisms upon our borderlands.
We invite others into our visions &
persuade them this is the dream for the
tired, the poor, the yearning hungry.
With our words and promised land
deeds we interrogate the seekers of
peace, those who dare to cradle a dream.
What price dreams when in any
self-identified exceptional place
others’ dreams cost a wooden nickel?
—Glenda Funk
You ask darn good questions here, Glenda. I struggled with the dreaming stuff as well… the dreamy of the dreams. And how one person’s dreams line up against another person’s dreams… and their worth. No easy thing this dreaming. But they keep us going, these “visions” … I just keep on hoping that “cradl[ing] a dream,” the mere act of that effort is worth a dime or two for our sanity.
Is it as hot in Pocatello as it is here in STL? Dang, even with yesterday’s cloudburst we are back in the heat zone. Whew. I dream of better weather. 😉
Hugs, Susie
Glenda—that last line. Oof! Powerful!
Brava for this brave exposing of white supremacist dreams for America. Will we really be able to dream together of a truly multi-racial democracy, one that thrives and doesn’t get snuffed out with the filters and replacement of of historical revisionism? Beautiful, Glenda. I’m glad your prophetic poem went in this direction today.
Those phrases…
“…pretend to hatch new ideas…”
“…release luminescence filtered…”
“…persuade them this is the dream…”
“…interrogate the seekers of peace…”
I hope you will take this to a wider audience, Glenda.
Somehow this went in an unexpected direction for me. Thank you so much for the great prompt, Denise!
I dream a world where lemon drops
Drip, drip from lemon trees
Onto transparent lacy leaves
All stamped by honey bees.
I dream a world where gummy bears
Come out to fight at night,
We bring our sharpest weapons
And defeat them bite by bite.
I dream a world where marshmallows
Descend on Christmas Day,
And once the ground is puffy white,
We race the chocolate sleigh.
I dream a world where we admit we
came from the same maker.
Like ginger people, we hold hands
And kindly thank the baker.
Well, Katrina — This is just plain “sweet” — you delightful dreamer you! I just love this… it oughta be a children’s book (and by that I include all the happy adults who’d get to read it to their kids). I especially loved the honey bees and the gummy bears coming out to fight at night… “defeat them bite by bite”…LOL! Lovely! Susie
Katrina,
I hear this as a song of delight and joy with clever twists of togetherness in the “we” of it all. That pronoun is so important.
Thank you for the dream,
Sarah
Oh, Katrina, wowza! I love this. The sweet rhythm and rhyme make me want to sing along. I think it would be a lovely picture book–the kind we would choose to read to all ages. Love the magic. “We bring our sharpest weapons.” Wouldn’t it be great a great world if our teeth were our sharpest weapons, and we brought them to a gummy bear fight?
how precious it would be
if you could be you
and I could be me
no magic wand needed
or incense
or candles
we need not make wishes on stars
we simply begin each day
knowing
each of us is precious
just as we are
Maureen — simply lovely. I want to put your poem on a poster! I just really love this…”just as we are.” Indeed! Thank you, Susie
Maureen—short, sweet, and sublime. No magic wand, no wishes, just us—precious…
Maureen,
This is the dream, especially the first three lines, I wanted to articulate but could not. I love the list of what is not needed: incense, can do les, etc.
Oh, Maureen,
I so need this dream to come true in my household today. I notice all the lowercase letters and absent punctuation. This lack of beginning and end makes me believe it is possible to just “begin each day…as we are.”
Peace,
Sarah
I sigh and feel something settle in me when reading these words. I appreciate the simplicity. I think it was a good choice to not capitalize or to use punctuation.
How precious, indeed!
Maureen, you’ve so deftly cut to the heart of things – knowing each other as precious just as we are is vital. Think of how different the world would be… how succinctly, perfectly conveyed!
Maureen, this is great! Thank you for writing this — “each of us is precious / just as we are.” Truth!
Maureen, how precious this poem is in its simplicity and purpose. Such a simple request or dream, which would go far to make the world a better place. “we simply begin each day”…”just as we are” Thank you for dreaming this beautiful image today.
Wishing any of you fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day and also a very happy birthday to Anna!
?
We Dream
We dream a world upside right
Where children receive unconditional love
Food is not scarce or hoarded as gifts
And love isn’t something we easily dispose of
We dream a world not so uptight
Where parents get paid more than their worth
Homes flow with laughter, warmth and joy
And harvests from seeds cover the earth
We dream a world bathed in light
Where streets are for driving not for living
Our skin is skin and love is love
Kindness is normal and hearts forgiving
©Stacey L. Joy, June 20, 2021
Oh, I’m delighting in these dreams today. Thank you, Stacey. I’m full of smiles here. So many aspects of your dream world to love: “where parents get paid more than their worth” and harvests covering the earth and streets not for living, skin is skin and love is love…oh, my I could go on, but the hour is late here. I think I’ll read this one again tomorrow! Beautiful, Stacey.
This is beautiful, Stacey. I love the way the first lines rhyme with each other, and each is stand-alone wisdom:
We dream a world upside right
We dream a world not so uptight
We dream a world bathed in light
Stacey — Such a reality this would be… in some ways it seems so practical and simple…and yet, that it even has to be a dream is shocking and heartbreaking. May every word of this beautiful poem be our reality! Maybe the energy of all of us embracing every word here can be powerful enough to move us closer to this dream come true. Words that I loved: “upside right” and “homes flow with laughter” and “seeds cover the earth” and “skin is skin and love is love.” Hugs in peace, Susie
Upside right. Adding this to my list of favorite phrases…
Stacey,
First the phrase “upside right” is perfect and unique. I love the repetition of “we dream a world.” Gorgeous thoughts in this hopeful poem.
Stacey, what perfect phrasing you use with “upside right.” And in this world that is “upside right,” “parents get paid more than their worth.” Wow, that is sadly so foreign to the way of thinking in our society today. Your poem warms my heart.
I love this poem and how you crafted each first line with right, uptight, and light. My favorite “Our skin is skin and love is love.”
Stacey, I really want to do a line-by-line explanation as to how much I love this poem. Everything from “upside right” to that theme of forgiving…it’s so, so important, and seems to be so often disregarded. “Our skin is skin and love is love”…suffice it today that every single line sears itself on my heart. So grateful for this!
Denise, what a great choice for day 2 of Open Write! I am enjoying the idea of dreaming today. I love the last stanza for its simplicity and peace!
☮️Stacey
PEACE DREAMING
Dreamy visions
fill the cup
with water clear and cool,
air pulled deep
into the pulp of every cell
in nourishing gulps,
clouds shade old-growth forests
and bring gentle rains,
velvet sleep,
whales breach in pods of sheer majesty,
bears, rhinos, antelope
share the savannahs, plains, mountains,
and the snow melt
pools downstream
in oases
of nests and sanctuary,
and we never quit
dreaming
in peace.
In my dream
I use one hand to work,
the other to weave through your fingers;
I use one foot to stand,
the other to walk in your shoes;
I use one eye to witness
the blue and brown in your eyes and skin,
the other to focus
on my heart that sees a friend: both you and me;
I use one side of my brain to acknowledge one answer,
the other side to create possibility, a sort of chancer;
in my dream my seemingly redundant parts
balance on the fulcrum of a heart
that beats for me and for you
in a rhythm
that celebrates
your middle C is my middle C
in the blending
of a sea of tones
into chords,
yet knows each note
is beauty in itself
in this song
of peace.
by Susie Morice, June 20, 2021©
Susie, this is the last poem I’ll be reading until morning. It’s midnight in Bahrain, and I get to go to bed with this beautifully dreamy lullaby on my heart. I’m sure I’ll have sweet dreams. That shared humanity in the one / the other lines is spectacular. I love this so much. The only thing better would be to hear you sing it. Thank you for your gift to this community.
Ahhhh, Susie, how do you do what you do with our prompts? Wow! This stopped me and made me start commenting before I even finished reading:
Dang, the rest of it needs to just be copied, pasted, and quoted! This sings to my heart. It’s a song to the world!
What a gift! ?
In my dream
I use one hand to work,
the other to weave through your fingers;
I use one foot to stand,
the other to walk in your shoes;
These lines humble me…
Susie,
Your poem has a peaceful aura about it. As I read I thought about our our left brain and right brain have different functions, but we don’t see our bodies complaining about that. These different parts work in harmony. Why don’t we have a world like that? I love this idea and all the nature imagery in your poem.
Susie, we are so used to thinking in ‘either/or’ terms, it is nice to be reminded that we can be and do ‘both/and.” I don’t think I would have understood this without the images you created like “I use one hand to work./The other to weave through your fingers.”
Thank you.
“In my dream/ I use one hand to work,/ the other to weave through your fingers;/I use one foot to stand,/ the other to walk in your shoes” – These lines are stirring! A beautiful emphasis on difference and sameness.
In a word – breathtaking. I will save this poem to reread, to savor the images and the truths. Empathy so expertly conveyed by “showing, not telling” – and using the other side of the brain to consider possibility “a sort of chancer” – I love it, I love it all, and it is all so stunningly beautiful and powerful, bright and warm Thank you for this, Susie!
Denise, love this idea for a poem today! I am particularly struck by your words, “overflowing with grace” – love this. I also love how your last line mirrors your first. To dreams for our world!
It’s a hot afternoon
with Oklahoma wind
bouncing droopy
pink hydrangea blooms.
You stab red dirt
with the shovel’s spade
stirring the ground
to lay seed.
Bags of store bought soil
stand by to nurture
a ground’s capacity
to grow a blade.
You stand, wipe your brow,
rub the ache in your aging back,
turn to the green patch
from week’s past & smile.
The dream of another
grass patch is in sight–
a whole green lawn
to catch the country road dust
coating our windows
is coming true.
And I wonder about
this dirt patch here
where I sit,
its dust in my lashes–
what do I dream
for its tomorrow?
And you hand me
the shovel and say,
“Get to work.”
My husband spent many weeks this past spring, encouraging grass to grow in a new patch (and, he was successful!), so I can really visualize this. Love the idea of grass’ purpose “to catch the country road dust.” I wonder if all dreams require this – “Get to work.” Lovely poem, Sarah!
Sarah — I could just see you toiling over the patch by patch of yard/garden turned into green space with hydrangeas. The contrast with the dust…that OK red dirt… is so vivid an image (“coating our windows” and “dust in my lashes”) — oh lordy! I can feel the heat, the sweat. Wonderful sense of place and purpose. Susie
Yes, like Maureen says, do all dreams require “Get to work”? Hmmm…I hope you will write again about your “a whole green lawn / to catch the country road dust” when it comes true! Perfect poem for your day, Sarah. I love it.
Yes!!! Sarah! Such a savory sensory treat for a Sunday! I didn’t expect the turn to…
You always create the perfect scenarios and I feel like I’m with you watching your grass grow, his aging back and the country road dust “coating our windows is coming true.”
Gorgeous! But did you get to work or enjoy the view??? ?
Sarah, I don’t know which impresses me more, your ability to grow pink hydrangeas in hot, windy Oklahoma or your ability to create an image of beauty emerging from the “dirt patch.”
Thank you!
Thanks, Katrina. I wrote the literal and in doing so know I need to dream harder beyond this local, personal space. Need to nurture the dirt patches in the world.
The peace and the scene you presented lulled me into a pleased calm—and then the ending woke me up again! Thanks for the mood and the chuckle.
Sarah,
This poem evokes many memories of red clay soil for me. That stuff is hard packed and stubborn. I chuckled at the interrupted dream w/ the words, “get to work.” Around here their form is, “I thought you were going to mow the lawn.”
I love the mixture of dust and dreams. So many times the dust on roads is in our past – and dreams in the future. This dust holds the dreams of tomorrow in your lashes – a vision of so much possibility we can imagine!
This is such a true picture of how we want to cultivate the earth space we live in. Could be metaphorical, too. We all need to get to work.
Get to work, indeed! It seems you never stop! Lots of green in your world, my friend.
Denise, thank you again for such a fun prompt! My brainstorming started with the idea of “dreaming” and what that “means” and then the garden path veered one way and then the other until finally, unbeknownst to me, I was doling out advice. Lol.
Here’s what I know:
kidding.
I eschew any
understanding, any
uh-huh or I get it.
Life is like that.
One day I
understand
and the next?
Cheese is bad
for you
again
or you’re really
not supposed
to floss.
So, I get the
want or need
or desire to
dream,
but the problem,
for me,
Is that “the wanting”
is not
“The doing.”
It’s the waiting
for Godot instead
of the godot-it-ing
yourself,
and, I guess,
life could be a dream
(Sh-Boom Sh-Boom)
but The Crew Cuts
didn’t even invent
that song — although
it was featured in
Disney/Pixar’s movie
Cars — it’s an old
doo-wop song by
The Chords.
And, ay, there’s the rub,
dreaming of a world
is fraught with problems
because of Christopher
Nolan’s Inception.
Is this real or is it
a dream within
a dream?
And we could (and
should) doff our hats
to Edgar Allan Poe
for that, but I’m not
wearing one and, I mean,
did he really invent
this Russian Nesting
Doll idea, and besides,
DiCaprio was just
really good in
that.
So, it’s complicated.
I guess what I’m
saying is, maybe,
don’t rely on movies
to give us truth
with a capital “T”
and also maybe
here’s some other
stuff that I know
or have learned:
Be nice,
Be kind,
and
Don’t be
a jerk.
__________________
For what it’s worth, lol, here’s a reading of the poem.
Scott, this is reality randomness that takes those wandering paths of trains of thought that Y and U at direction-turning points. I love it all, especially this:
but the problem,
for me,
Is that “the wanting”
is not
“The doing.”
It’s the waiting
for Godot instead
of the godot-it-ing
yourself,
great play on words!
There is such humor and irony, coupled with truth and reality, with your one-line stanza – “So, it’s complicated.” Love the flow of your poem, from not knowing how to advise to very simple and important directions for all of us.
I like that world that you dreamed at the end, with your good advice–
As always I’m blown away with the allusions, and the fun in your verse. Thank you, Scott! And I so loved hearing you read it to me as well. Ditto what Kim said about the gadot-it-ing lines!
Scott — I LOVED …
“the wanting”
is not
“The doing.”
It’s the waiting
for Godot instead
of the godot-it-ing
yourself,
(Ha, I just read Kim’s response… these lines whacked us both!)
I loved the rambling and the ending, of course! I think you have the dream sealed… as goofy as you are (as determined by the delightful voice in all your poems), you’re nice, you’re kind, and not at all a jerk. 🙂 And you sure are funny. Susie
So—really—-what Kim and Susie said! i was going to paste the selection, then read theirs! As always, your poem pulls me in and through your mind…
Oh my Godot, I loved the poem when I read it, but listening to you read it was even better. You define a common condition “the wanting is not the doing,” and you further define the “doing” in five, memorable lines, “Be nice/Be kind,/and/Don’t be/a jerk.” Thank you!
Thanks for the added bonus of hearing you read this poem. You have such a distinct voice and by that I don’t mean your voice, but your voice. Confusing, but so is your poem. I get it, though, and that’s the important thing, right?
Denise, thank you for these days of stirring inspiration! These are simple but powerfully cerebral new forms that challenge us to think deeply!
I was visiting my dad over the weekend, feeling blessed to have a father I love a s cherish – and then, driving home I saw an umbrella being held by someone standing by a grave in a cemetery this morning in the pouring rain at 8:47 a.m. That image inspired my poem today.
i dream a world
of no goodbyes
of love and kindness
in all eyes
i dream a world
of no regret
of no grief tunnels
to forget
i dream a world
of family peace
where arms, outreached,
make quarrels cease
Kim, what a site to see someone holding the umbrella over the grave this morning. Peace to that person. I wish they could read your poem, really. I like all the things your world does not have–no goodbyes, regrets, grief tunnels, quarrels.
Your simple lines and sweet rhymes make it a delight to read this poem.
I love the simple opening of a lowercase i, repeated each stanza, making me realize both how small each of us is and how important it is to live out our dreams. Also, this idea of “grief tunnels” – I don’t think I’ve heard grief expressed that way, and, yet, wow, one gets lost in these tunnels… Beautiful poem, Kim!
Yes, Kim, sign me UP! I love the rhymes, the whole delivery of this poem… reading aloud is just plain lovely. Hugs, Susie
Denise, please accept my apology for writing your name wrong yesterday. I didn’t notice till it was too late to edit and correct it. I also thank you for a new way to write about our dreams. Here’s mine:
I’m dreamin’ of a time
When folks get woke
And not be judged by the rhyme
Or the way they spoke
I’m dreaming of a world
When peace is unfurled
Like a blanket on the beach
And opportunity is in every student’s reach
And each has person free to teach
About a real, not dream world
When inclusion
Means more than being in the group
But also mean sharing the soup
Not just serving, but seated at the same table
Where kids and teens are able
To confidently walk
In the skin they’re in
To eagerly talk
In the skin they’re in
In the language on their heart
Where each of us can start
And fulfill our dreams as a part
Of an inclusive world
That welcomes all
With peaceful flags unfurled
Whether you’re a boy or a girl.
So, let’s get on the ball!
Anna!
Every. Single. Line. This is so wonderful, so powerful. Thank you for the words that call us to “unfurl” the dreams into reality.
You have me especially pondering the lines pasted here. Defining the “more” is a call to action itself.
Peace,
Sarah
Anna, this is gripping straight at the first stanza
I’m dreamin’ of a time
When folks get woke
And not be judged by the rhyme
Or the way they spoke
I love the use of woke here – it takes the modern use of a word and puts it in the timeless meaning of awareness – and invokes hope for a better world!
Oh, Anna, thank you for your note! I understand totally! More than once in the last two days I have missed the editing option we used to have, haha!
This poem is so wonderful. I really want to hear you read it aloud. It sounds like a rap or spoken word poem. I would love to hear Mrs. Roseboro read it. 🙂
These are my favorite lines:
I love the repetition of “in the skin they’re in”
Magnificent!
Happy birthday, Anna! Wonderful message in your poem today. The opening gave me so much joy to imagine!
Praying for this beautiful world you dream of because we know anything is possible!
?Enjoy your day!
“About a real, not dream world” – I love this. This is a dream we must make come true!!! I enjoyed this poem so much, such great rhyming and cadence.
Gosh, Anna — I really love this poem. It reads with a beat that carries us very quickly through a world of wonder. I LOVED “not just serving, but seated at the same table.” You bet! And “To confidently walk/in the skin they’re in” — oh, to have that be real. Happy Sunday! Susie
Anna, happy, happy birthday! Yesterday you told us it was your birthday on the 20th! But I was reminded by Stacey’s note! Hope you are having a great day.
Anna, your image of peace unfurling “like a blanket on the beach” is so beautifully effective. Without that blanket unfurled, there is no welcome to join in community. There is no opportunity for nourishment, rest, and fellowship. I may be totally off base here, but I see a lot of our problems today in that selfishly, tightly held unfurled blanket (aka flag).
Thank you for unfurling your poem with us!
Just playing with the theme and rhyme and rhythm here …
I dream a world where humankind
has slowed the pace, to take the time
to breathe clean air, to finally find
a peace in sync with life’s rhythm, and rhyme.
I dream a world, a simpler world.
The rush has slowed to a saner pace,
where hands may clasp, where fists uncurled,
where minds may meet, when face to face.
A world in which we at last agree
That color is lovely, but only skin deep,
and through our eyes as one we see
the souls within, the truths we keep.
I dream a world — it’s possible you know —
born not of hate, of division, of pride,
but of a people who knew to sow
the seeds of hope, both far and wide.
Impossible, some say, or so it seems.
I dream a world, a world of dreams.
Kathleen,
Thank you for this song! Such beauty in the meter and rhyme. These lines have been rereading and resonate deeply:
I so want to be in sync with it all but so often find myself mis-stepping.
Peace,
Sarah
Kathleen, my favorite lines say so well what I, too, dream.
where hands may clasp, where fists uncurled,
where minds may meet, when face to face.
So often folks “like” on line, but do nothing in person. Your poem expresses my dream so well.
Of course, this stanza, more general, but optimistic, is right on target, too.
dream a world — it’s possible you know —
born not of hate, of division, of pride,
but of a people who knew to sow
the seeds of hope, both far and wide.
Kathleen, nice job playing with the rhyme and rhythm. It is beautiful. I love the beauty in your poem of a saner, slower paced life, as well as real understanding.
Love the last line too: I dream a world, a world of dreams.
Imagining this blissful world:
I love the idea of fists uncurled.
So much to hold, want, and savor! Thank you, Kathleen.
OUTBID
I dream a world
where we tremor with Mother Earth
and lift ourselves with the breeze
knowing the Ocean and its worth.
I sleep a world
where we fear dark and thunder
and create stories to explain,
to hide our pain and blunders.
I wake a world
where ancient songs are still sung
and long-lasting fire and summer’s drought
teach Nature’s lessons to our young.
I breathe a world
where communities talk across a table
living and loving in union of spirit
caring for those less able.
I cry a world
where the power surges across a grid
and hands holding the circuitry lose love
and hide hope, the Universe outbid.
I love the form created by the progression of your first lines.
Whoa, Dixie!
These lines are haunting:
The creating of stories to explain makes me think of “explaining away” and/or finding meaning and how we can use story to reveal harm and work toward healing.
Thank you,
Sarah
Yes, Sarah, both came to mind as I wrote….You are in my head.
Dixie, this poem is spectacular. I love the sound of it, and the poetic images, the rhyming. I love I dream a world, I sleep a world, etc. You are a poet, and I’m delighting in this poem today.
I’m crying about
Thank you so much, Denise. I’m honored by your words. Thank you, also, for the inspiration. 🙂
Love your changing verbs – Dream, sleep, cry…..beautiful!
Denise,
Thank you for another wonderful prompt; it makes hopping back into the daily practice of writing a poem easy.
Your poem offers such hope. I love it.
I Dream a World
It’s Father’s Day
I would love to write
about how I dream
a world where
everyone experiences
the love of a dad.
Because I believe
dads provide stability
and love
allowing safety and confidence
to bloom
making for a better person,
better people,
a better world.
But
in today’s world
it seems we tiptoe
around our thoughts,
feelings, beliefs
because they may offend someone else,
causing a controversy.
Because
many people get
triggered at the sound of the word dad
or the thought of the dad
who was far less than
he should have been.
Their dads are encased in
trauma pockets in their guts.
Or
they have two moms
who have lovingly provided
all that they need.
A non-traditional family
but it’s all that they know
and they feel safe and loved.
I wish I felt it was okay for me
to feel and say that dads
are vital, essential to
society’s fabric.
Because they are.
Except when they aren’t.
~Susan Ahlbrand
20 June 2021
Susan—I had problems with “wishing”, as well. So many ideas are fraught with danger these days. So, for all the dads and non-dads. Happy day!
Susan,
This poem hit me hard for many reasons. I do feel a strong connections to much of what you have said but hit the hardest.
I dream this never to be true of anyone else in the world, because fathers are vital to society like you stated so eloquently. Thank you for sharing.
They are, except when they aren’t. I love how your poem embraces a larger possibility of what a father is.
Susan, you have handled this difficult topic with such an open mind and a big heart. I love your wrap up–they are vital, essential, except when they aren’t. It is not easy.
These lines capture some of the truth about when they aren’t:
So many truths, Susan. I am reminded of a quote attributed to President Obama: “Any fool can have a child. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.” Society’s fabric is one of complex prints and patterns; there are many layers, and you’ve rendered these poignant lines so lovingly.
Denise, I listened to an interview with Margaret Noodin on Poetry Unbound. The Ojibwe language is fascinating. I love your line “flags of peace unfurled”. Your words helped to guide my poem for my father. This weekend my daughters and I traveled to visit my parents for my mother’s 85th birthday. I was able to witness my father watching his great-grandsons in play.
He Dreams a World
(for my father, John Gibson)
He dreamed a world where hope
would be our North Star guide,
a world where we could care,
embrace each other’s side.
But dreams read daily news
on print as small as stars.
His weathered hands held fast
so futures could be ours.
Today he watches them
and wonders where they’ll go,
more treasures to be found
and promises of hope.
Oh, my….beautiful. Print as small as stars.
Margaret,
Love these line:
“His weathered hands held fast/
so futures could be ours”
Beautiful message of a father’s/grandfathers love and hope for his family.
Daily news on print as small as stars…. Wow
I so love the lines “But dreams read daily news / on print as small as stars.” Such imagery, such figurative language! Beautiful!
So beautiful. Lovely imagery and sense of undying hope. So glad you got to see your parents!
Margaret,
What a beautiful poem for your father. I love the stars repeating. This shows the strength in father:
So beautiful, and now imagine him looking at those little boys, looking at the hope in their future, “treasures to be found”
Wow! I love this.
I Dream a World
I Dream a World
I dream a world of puppies and kittens and…
No, that’s not right.
Too trite.
(Although I do love puppies and kittens)
I dream a world of…
joy and hope.
(Not much better, so…nope.)
I dream a world of…
peace and love.
(And doves? Come on, now…)
What to dream of, then,
when all is so bleak?
What dream should I seek?
We have so far to go…
The world’s broken now, you know.
So here it is—
the best I can do
for me, and, maybe, for you.
I dream of a world
where each of us
makes a change
toward the best in us,
If a butterfly’s flutter can cause a tornado,
certainly our whispered hopes and prayers
will coalesce
into a holy roar of possibility.
There
That is a world I can dream of.
gjsands53@gmail.com 6/20/21
Gayle, this hits me just right. Your first few stanzas resonate with me as I try to write and get stuck in peeking out of the trite. I love the whispered hopes coalescing “into a holy roar of possibility.” I love that sense of collective hope. Very beautiful.
Gayle
“I dream of a world
where each of us
makes a change
toward the best in us, ” — yes!
I can just imagine what the world would be if we could all just make an effort towards becoming our best selves.
I love how your poem itself takes us through your thought process and ends with “a holy roar of possibility.” There, yes, that’s it!
I really enjoyed the inner voice here — sounds so much like my own when I try to write poetry! But this: “our whispered hopes and prayers will coalesce into a holy roar of possibility” is amazing!
certainly our whispered hopes and prayers
will coalesce
into a holy roar of possibility.
“Holy roar.” Love love love this sense of righteous indignation and power.
Ahhh I can’t edit my mistake in the quote. But, I think you get the gist.
Gayle, what a beauty! You had fun with this, and the prompt really does call for it, doesn’t it? I love the final world you can dream of and that beauty of a line:
Yes, let’s dream that world!
Gayle — Gosh, this is marvelous… I love first off the voice in those first lines that maybe sound simple and obvious, but what the heck! I love the idea that a little change in each of us can make “a holy roar of possibility”…how great is that?! Super. Susie
Gayle, your whole poem captures the struggle to define the dream. Then, thwack, one single image vivifies the dream. I don’t know “if a butterfly’s flutter can cause a tornado,” but I do believe “our whispered hopes and prayers will coalesce into a holy roar of possibility.” In particular, I love your use of the word “holy,” which reminds us of the divine purpose each of us has here.
Gayle, I really enjoyed this! It was very funny and (then) serious. Well done! “I dream of a world / where each of us / makes a change / toward the best in us” is what it’s really all about, isn’t it? Thank you for writing and sharing this!
In My Dream
By Nancy White
In my dream
There is a world
Where good prevails
Where light reigns over darkness
And each person is celebrated and known
For the unique gift they are
Like fragrant roses in a garden.
Others stop to admire and say, “Wow, just wow.”
No one striving
No one wanting
Everyone heard
No need for fighting
This world and all that’s in it is healed
It looks back on its self-destructive ways and says,
“Thank God that’s not me anymore!”
It quickly returns to the here and now
To savor the beauty in this present moment.
It’s a place of nurture,
Balance and trust
It cares deeply about its health and wholeness.
It has learned to treat its resources with respect.
The people love deeply all they hold dear:
Their planet, flora and fauna, the oceans and rivers and lakes.
All the beautiful gems and stones are held in awe, not hoarded or stored greedily.
For greed and the need for power are no more.
Equity and justice have won.
Everyone knows fulfillment, peace, and joy
And there’s always cause for dancing—
Spontaneous singing and dancing freely,
No inhibitions ‘cause no one’s a stranger.
And in my dream I wonder,
“Is this heaven?”
This line stood out to me – “All the beautiful gems and stones are held in awe, not hoarded or stored greedily.” What a beautiful embodiment of a dream.
Nancy,
Love these lines:
“And there’s always cause for dancing—
Spontaneous singing and dancing freely,
No inhibitions ‘cause no one’s a stranger.”
This truly would be heaven!
…not hoarded or stored greedily…what am I hoarding? Food for thought…
Nancy, I think you hit the nail on the head with these lines
No one striving
No one wanting
Everyone heard
No need for fighting
I Dream a world of better listeners too!
Nancy,
Beautiful dreaming poem today.
These lines make me think it must be heaven! What a great dream.
Good Morning!
Denise, thank you for such an inspirational prompt. I loved playing with a little bit of rhyme…and not a lot of it. ABCB is a fun pattern. I appreciate the opportunity the mentor poems, including yours, give us the chance to dream and consider the ideals we’d like to see. It’s a good way for me to start my day.
I dream a world where
I and my and me
aren’t as critical
as our, us, or we
I dream a world where
morality is action
doing unto and for others
a focus not distraction
A world I dream words —
alien, stranger, refugee
are set aside, played in
a minor key of memory
A world I dream can live
on stories past, present, future
In the the Beginning to The End
ring true, and not sour as rumor
Love this phrasing ..
” … played in
a minor key of memory …”
Kevin
I love how you play with rhyme and italics in this poem. It flows and the stanza about alien, stranger, refugee got me right in the heart. Thank you for this!
Linda,
These words:
“I and my and me
aren’t as critical
as our, us, or we”
really resonate with me. It reminds of me of Gandhi’s words “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed/”
If everyone could just look beyond themselves and care for others and the world, we really could live in harmony.
I dream a world where
morality is action
doing unto and for others
a focus not distraction—yes!
This is a wonderful poem that expresses so much about the world we live in vs. the world we dream about. Love “a minor key of memory.” You stepped up to the rhyme challenge and nailed it!
Linda, thanks so much for this stanza
I dream a world where
morality is action
doing unto and for others
a focus not distraction
Nice job with the rhyme, Linda! It’s very effective. I like There’s not a clunker in the bunch! (Haha)
Yes, let’s have that world of our, us, and we. Lovely poem!
Does The World Dream of Me?
I wonder
if the world
dreams of
me
and if it
dreams of
me,
what might
the dreaming
world see of
me?
Am I
a thorn
or a source
of pride?
A knitter’s
hook or a
singer’s
smile?
or maybe
the world
doesn’t dream
at all of
me
maybe the
world can’t fall
asleep;
a restless spirit,
all because of
the likes of
me
What a wonderful story of question…that “can’t fall asleep…and restless spirit” are such good maybes.
Kevin,
So thought-provoking and unique. You make me not even want to start writing my own! That’s why I should never read the others before I start mine.
I love the contemplation in here, the question of thorn/pride, singer’s smile, the restless spirit. There’s something very beautiful and wistful in this poem. Thanks for sharing powerful words this morning.
Kevin,
I really enjoyed the approach you took with your poem. Turning the prompt into a question and personification of the world was really powerful. Makes me wonder too. If the world could talk, what would it say about us who inhabit and destroy it? Thank you for this very thought provoking poem.
Am I a thorn or a source of pride—we should all be asking this tough question!
Kevin, your poem makes me stop and question myself—am I a thorn or a source of pride? I think I have been both. I love the personification of the world as being dreamless, restless, and sleepless perhaps because of the likes of me. Cause for self-examination.
Kevin, I love this take on the dreaming world. And I want to say what Nancy said! I love:
It got me thinking! Also thinking tonight about these closing lines…
Kevin — I so totally loved where your poem went… what a dandy question. The specific images of “thorn” or “source of pride” and “knitter’s hook” and “singer’s smile”… and the idea that the world does not sleep (because of “the likes of me”) …..LOL! Inventive! This is, once again, a poem that holds surprise. A lesson for me. I love reading your poems! Thank you, Susie
The drift into contemplative questions makes me part of the slow movement of thoughts….I love these lines, “maybe the world can’t fall asleep;” It makes me think of the world just watching and thinking.