To Langston
To you, Langston, I pay my dues
You paint my world in lovely hues
Your words a balm to troubled soul
Whose dreams like yours, remain on hold
Langston, I stand behind the wall
I stand here too, feeling so small
Please teach me how to get on through
Teach me, Langston, to be like you
A “Dream Keeper” you claim to be
Keep the “rough hands” away from me
Like me, you wrote of ending life
Sick of injustice and the strife
Though often like me, your soul torn,
Said, “But for livin' I was born”
Heartbroken, and about to cry
You wouldn't let her see you die
“Life is fine, fine like wine, life is fine”
Yes, Dear Mr Hughes, it is sublime
I wish you had not died, my dear
When I was born, same month and year
But know your words are yet alive
Your passion and thoughts make me thrive
Here’s looking at you, Mr. Hughes
You do help chase away my blues
“The night comes gently black like” you
I wish you knew, I love you true!!!
Eileen Manassian Ghali
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."
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 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
PS...I love this poet. I love his work. I love his spirit. If you get a chance, read his poem, Life is Fine...He was jilted by his girlfriend and tried to commit suicide but in the end, he decided that life was too good to waste! ;) I made a reference to this in my poem. Amazing....Also, read Dream Variations or Dreams....I love this man! :)
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