Poem: A Poet Dreams
By Dr. Archan Mehta
If you were to ask me:
Why do you dream?
I would have to respond:
Why, I don’t know for sure.
I can’t explain it logically,
Rationally, but I dream anyway.
Unapologetically, without your permission.
I am not concerned
If the masses find that weird.
So what?
I will dream anyway.
A young lady, who discovered
My habit, called me a
Freak of nature and ran away.
So be it: I will dream.
I may fall silent or I may scream.
This is only a dream, my dream.
I don’t owe you an explanation,
So don’t expect one.
You will be disappointed,
I warn you, so
Mind your own business:
By the way, please and thank you,
To be polite, but let me dream.
I dream and enter a no man’s land.
But I demand solitude and silence.
I want to be left alone, so
That I can dream. I promise
I will bring you no trouble.
I mean you no harm. I am,
After all, a man of goodwill,
A cultured person, a gentleman.
But leave me alone,
So I can dream.
If I am struck by an idea,
Suddenly and unexpectedly,
I promise to leave your gas
Station, convenience store,
Restaurant, hotel, etc.
I may retire to a forest,
Jungle, park or garden,
So I can dream
In splendid isolation.
I may choose to sing
Without disturbing the peace,
But I will dream.
After all, dreaming
Sure beats our ugly
Reality hands down:
Dollar for dollar,
Euro for euro,
Rupee for rupee,
And pound for pound.
I tilt my head towards
The sky and I start to dream.
I can make excuses to dream.
No problems. No issues.
No worries. No pressures.
Stay away from me,
Please, so that I can dream.
And don’t expect me
To be normal else
I will loudly scream.
I am engaged to my dream.
By the way, just for your
Kind information, normality
Is overrated and mediocrity
Is a virtue in the world of today.
So let me avoid the crowds,
Mobs and herds because
I want to dream.
Please don’t create
Obstacles for me.
Please don’t manipulate
The narrative.
Please don’t gossip and
Spread rumors and say,
For example, that I
Am a crazy person.
I wish to enter this
Inferno of nothingness:
This void pleases me
And I like oblivion.
I wish to remain obscure,
Irrelevant, almost as
If I don’t even exist.
I am prepared to do almost
Anything, so I can dream.
I don’t want to be a
Productive and contributing
Member of society, for I
Prefer to dream. I don’t
Want to be responsible,
Accountable, respectable,
And an adult. I prefer to
Be like a child who dreams.
I have no goal to reach,
I have nothing to buy or sell,
I just believe in my dream.
I have trust in my dream.
I am a man of faith,
So I dream: it takes a
Leap of faith to dream.
I dropped out of society,
A long time ago:
Consumerism, capitalism,
Materialism, ownership,
Privatization, hoarding,
Showing off, etc.
Seemed rather
Vulgar to me.
No, thank you.
I have few needs
And I know how
To live within
My means, so I
Have the freedom to dream.
When I dream,
I can walk on water,
I can bring the
Dead back to life,
I can nurture babies and
Show them a good time,
Release a caged bird
Into the vast, open sky,
I can persuade a turtle
To emerge from it shell,
And provide solace
To a grieving widow.
When I dream,
I am able to rid
Our planet of
Weapons of mass destruction,
I can restore the balance
Of nature and prevent
Diseases and pandemics,
I am able to prevent
Natural disasters,
And the mass slaughter
Of innocent lives,
I can help a little,
Old lady cross
The street and
Carry her groceries
And deliver her
To her home,
Safe and sound.
I dream to restore
Eyes to the blind,
Cure those who are sick,
Suck the poison out of
A patient suffering
From terminal cancer,
And feed our starving
World with loaves,
Fishes, mangoes, honey,
Sweets, and smoothies.
I can be good and noble
And selfless only
In my dreams.
I can make this world
A better place only
If I am allowed to dream.
So, you wild things,
Why don’t you spare
A moment to dream?
************
Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, Dr. Mehta is a Freelance Writer and Consultant based in India. Over the years, Dr. Mehta’s creative work has been featured in numerous publications in India, U.K., USA, South Africa and the Middle East. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors, party with close friends, listen to music and stay on top of current events. Dr. Mehta is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to Dr. Mehta at