WHAT’S YOUR DREAM?

(2nd place)

 By Annie Combs, 7th grade, East Valley Middle School

A little boy asked me

“What’s your dream?”

I looked, smiled,

And began to sing.

“My dream,

Is what I want inside

Is a deep feeling

That never seems to subside.

It boils up

Till I explode.

Goes through my head,

Like I might implode.

But my dream,

is to be heard.

To have a name,

that’s more than a word.

I wanna break free

from the clique.

I wanna group of friends

That really stick.

I want my mom

To be cured from her pain.

To rinse out her heart,

And rejuvenate her veins.

I want my best friend

To quit.

To stop breathing it in

And taking the bit.

I want my dad to know,

That even though he left me

He’s still glued in my heart, like a sick dream

Sent to upset me.

I want that kid

In the ninth grade,

To know he can trust

Every word I say.

And when it comes that time,

I want the ring around my finger.

To hold me, and love me,

And to sing to her.

But to get what you want,

You have to stay in school.

Because no matter how much they tell you,

“Dropping out” ain’t cool.”

I paused and took a deep breath,

He sat dazed

I patted his head,

And followed his empty gaze.

“You have to get A’s

And never be late.

Because your funeral,

Is your drop out date.

You have to pay attention

To the rules and the lines.

To go to college,

And make an extra dime.

To support a family,

And stay out of the hood.

Because I want to give my kids,

More than my mom ever could.

And, when I achieve this,

I’ll sit back and watch

To know I did something great,

And bumped up the notch.

For my kids,

I paved the road.

For the generations to come,

to get big and grow old.

They’ll look to my achievement.

They’ll follow my footsteps,

So everyone knows,

I didn’t skip any steps.

I made it to the top,

All on my own,

With little support,

To get what I own.”

He looked at me with wet eyes,

And said to me,

“I want to be just like you,

And follow my dream.

I wanna be someone,

and have a name.

Not for money,

Or the fame.

But for the respect,

And the love.

To know I’m blessed,

From the heavens above.”