Dreams Worth Dreaming

When I was
But a child,
With lanky legs
And rebellious hair,
I used to dream.

I used to dream
Of Bengal tigers
That roared fiercely
And liked strawberry ice cream.

I used to dream
Of going out to sea
And leaving all my troubles
On land.

I used to dream
Of swimming
In far off oceans,
Catching fish with nothing
But a knife
And my quick thinking.

I used to dream
Large, fantastic dreams
That were bigger than life,
But smaller than
The universe.

I don’t dream
Those dreams anymore.
Instead I dream
Of work and bills,
Of deadlines and responsibilities.

The dreams of my childhood
Have faded away.

Set a drift
In an unknown body of water,
In an unknown body of consciousness
Are my dreams of
Bengal tigers,
Boat trips,
And being a bare hand fisherman.

Hopefully,
One day,
They will return
And I will once more
Dream of
Dreams worth dreaming.