Dreams

By Surya Suresh

The child was alone with its dreary thoughts,

Hauled up in his room with a silent look.

He poured his being into the books,

As he thought of his future with sorrow.

A war is raging outside of our home,

When will it stop, when will there be peace.

The distant sound of sirens breaks the silence,

As the boy scrambles to find his parents.

Together with his family they flee to safety,

As the roaring sound of bombs draw near.

In the dark shelter beneath their house,

The boy dreams of a vibrant future.

He wanted to be an architect with a vision,

Instead he now sits with a distant look in his eyes .

His school was turned to rubble by enemy planes,

When he was running to his morning classes.

His friends and his teachers all lay beneath,

The pile of concrete which was once his school.

He wanted to create a better school in his village,

So that the children would study without sadness.

But instead his path to peace and salvation ,

Lay in front of him in a pile of dust.

Finally after an eternity in the bunker,

His family emerged into the aftermath.

Thank God! He thought, my home is safe,

But when will the next planes arrive?

Again he continued onto his room,

To carry on his studies to his secured future.

This is my only hope, thought he,

To study and to be great and achieve my dreams.

The when I am older and wise, I shall,

Bring peace to this world and not war.

By Surya Suresh