Perchance To Dream: a poem

February 9, 2016

300 dpi 5 col. x 7.5 inches/276x190 mm/940x648 pixels Bonita Clark color illustration of a sinking person with arms emerging from pool of water. San Jose 2001 With OPTIONSINK, Knight Ridder by Margaret Steen

300 dpi 5 col. x 7.5 inches/276×190 mm/940×648 pixels Bonita Clark color illustration of a sinking person with arms emerging from pool of water. San Jose 2001 With OPTIONSINK, Knight Ridder by Margaret Steen

By MATT CHONG
Staff Writer

Darkness for miles,
In every
Direction.

I am falling.
Falling into a void
Without end,
Without meaning.

The path to oblivion
Seems apparent.
For I am but dust,
And to dust I shall return.

What meaning then,
Did existence have?
With its hassles,
Its pressures,
Its demands?

My very being screamed in agony,
Wanting the pain to stop.
To run away from it,
Hide from it,
Escape it.

I prepare to say my goodbyes
To the world I am leaving behind.

A world of despair,
Hate, and persecution.

Suddenly – clarity.
Images of my life
Made manifest
In my eyes.

The memories come
Rushing in.
A best friend,
A first kiss.
The laughs,
The tears,
The hopes,
The heartaches.

A cry for freedom
Wells up in my heart,
And in my entire being.
The will to live driving me
To the brink of insanity.
And then I wake.

For we must all return
To the land of the living.
To earn our keep,
To make a difference,
Before we can dream
Eternally.

Author’s Note: “Perchance to Dream” is a poem that follows a teenager’s attempted suicide and redemption. The speaker’s initial despair is replaced by a will to live as he or she recalls memories that have had a positive impact on his or her life, ending with a reminder that life has a purpose.

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