In Pursuit of Poetry

March 14, 2020 - Langston Hughes - Dreams

March 14
Dreams by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was a poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright. He was known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties and was important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance.

I read two of his other poems in Jill Bialosky's book, Poetry Will Save Your Life and was immediately drawn in by the honest humanity within his verses. Jill included I, Too and You And Your Whole Race in her chapter on shame. I too felt the inequality of those less fortunate than I. I know I live a life of white privilege. My place in this world is a roll of the dice and for that I am grateful.

I try to be inclusive and open to other people and their cultural backgrounds. We all have a story to tell and I am grateful that our world is made up of many voices, with many experiences; particularly those who shine light on the areas we don't notice or want to look at. They make us think. They make us consider. And hopefully we become a little more compassionate as a walk this thing called life.

I decided to pick his poem Dreams because we all need to have dreams and hold onto them. They motivate us to strive for something much greater than our current state. We not only need to follow our dreams, but we also need to reach out and mentor others. That is why I love teaching and writing. I can fly, but I can also inspire, encourage and lift others up.

Dreams
Langston Hughes - 1902-1967

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.

https://poets.org/poem/dreams