19 Aug: "Harlem" by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

      Does it dry up
      like a raisin in the sun?
      Or fester like a sore—
      And then run?
      Does it stink like rotten meat?
      Or crust and sugar over—
      like a syrupy sweet?

      Maybe it just sags
      like a heavy load.

      Or does it explode?

1 comment:

  1. How did I miss this poem for the little dreams set we did a while back? Dry, fester, stink, rot, crust, sag, or explode? None of those options seem good.

    I wonder if a deferred dream may not benefit some? There was a TED Radio Hour and mentioned how following dreams leads people to struggle and eventually have to give up in writing, acting, and music careers especially, arts pretty much. There were arguments that finding something to be successful at would be a better option that struggling to follow passions and dreams. I'm beginning to agree more and more with this.

    Back to Hughes, his dreams are more ideological. Which if deferred could be far more destructive. I guess it depends on the dream

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