Friday Fiction - Far Away Dreams

(photo by Lisa Kristine about child slavery)


Far Away Dreams

I stare at the image, a brown-skinned boy,
Who drops his net in waters of blue.
Does he sometimes dream to live like me,
And have adventures that other boys do?

We are alike – both he and me,
But I have freckles, and his skin is dark.
I have to wear mittens, coat, and hat;
His skin’s almost bare; he’s free as a lark. 

I think that he would rather play 
Than spend his days fishing for food
Or follow the bleating goats about
Or collect wild fruit or gather wood.

I expect he never has homework to do
Or tend to the dog or rake the leaves 
Or shovel the steps or take out the trash
Or remember to say ‘thank you” and “please.”

We are alike – both he and me.
He’s probably told to eat snails and snake.
I’d rather taste those than oatmeal and peas,
And I think he might like pizza and steak.

When he looks up through the swaying palms,
Does he dream of lands of snowy white?
Does he imagine the stars to be icy flakes
Or the wind is a howling wolf at night?

If I lived there in that tropical land,
I would sail upon the ocean wild
And search for ships with a black spyglass
And discover treasure on a sandy isle.

We are alike – both he and me.
What seems odd and strange to the other
Becomes an exotic thing to see
And so we dream on – as strangers, as brothers.
~ ~ ~
For more Friday Fiction,  go to Karlene's blog ( Undaunted Devotion)