Dreams

It’s National Poetry Month!  To celebrate, I will be sharing a series of posts focusing on poetry. 

Do you have a favorite poem?  One of my favorites is Harlem (Dream Deferred) by Langston Hughes, who just happens to be one of my favorite poets as well. 

Harlem

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Hughes penned another beautiful poem on the topic of dreams.  The title poem of this collection of his works, originally published in 1932, is a little more encouraging.  A more modern edition of this collection, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, is still available for purchase.

The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamer,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.

Hughes had a lot to say about dreams.

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.

To learn more about Langston Hughes, check out this page from Biography.com