LOST DREAMS
written by: Ibrahim “dreezy” Idris
My uncle set his dreams
At the age of 16
And it all ended
At the war of ’63
Pushing for glory
In service for country
A young man in uniform
Returns home
Wrapped with fur
Labelled to be
A victim of war
We talked oftentimes
On Sunday mornings
Sharing our worries
Over a cup of coffee
As it became boring
We raced across rails
Leading upstate
As we discovered the city
In the midst of our plays
We returned home late
At times by past 8
A glass of cocktail
Was the welcome toast
As he would narrate
Mythologies and fairytales
Of how Athens was raised
Poseidon bending waves
Zeus striking his rays
Medusa’s cursed gaze
And all he had to say
Was the perfect lullaby
Even if I was a teen
I fell to deep sleep
As my uncle prepared
To return to duty
That same eve’
Now we speak in 3’s
My words of
I miss you
Propel as a frisbee
Back to my lips
As the tender breeze
Assures me
That you really are
Resting in peace
My dear uncle
Was a father figure
Caught in a boy’s mind
Unwilling to decide
His true path
Satisfying his destiny
But losing his dreams
As he pulled triggers
Behind enemy lines
In the name of peace
For the sake of liberty
While his heart
Was caught in shackles
And his mind
Was the war-front
Imperceptible
My uncle spoke metaphors
That made his words blunt
As I was just young
To arrange his thoughts
But his diary
Continues to repeat
Lines of redemption
And failed obligations
My uncle sought
Smiles of love
And a simple hug
With a different warmth
A child bearing his name
And a wife shrouding
All kinds of pain
My uncle
Was buried a hero
But died
Empty a man.
- A Past Memory of Myself - October 13, 2021
- SAND STORM - September 11, 2020
- IMPULSE - March 13, 2020
