Dear Readers,

This beautiful poem makes me remember a boy who came from Puerto Rico and who was learning English for the first time.  I can’t remember his name, only his face and determination to enter the poetry competition at Lanning Square Family School many years ago.  He came on his lunch and my lunch and ESL teacher and student learned the words to Dream Variations.  He loved the words “fling” and “whirl” and mightily enjoyed “flinging” and “whirling” as he practiced.

He didn’t win the competition, but he was great, saying his poem in English and “flinging” and “whirling” on the stage in front of the entire school.

He is a man now.  I hope his life turned out fine and I wonder if he remembers his ESL teacher and this following poem:

Dream Variations

To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun,
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done.
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently,
Dark like me-
That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun,
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done.
Rest at pale evening…
A tall, slim tree…
Night coming tenderly
Black like me.