!!! Dreams that once were !!!

Lying down on the couch,

steaming cup of hot coffee at side,
Dusk making the vision darker and darker,
Looking down at the woods, makes you remember…..

It starts with a milk bottle

with a picture of a cartoon character,
Or a soft toy, or an automatic car toy,

You don’t remember….
But you do remember
That you didn't have it

so he should have it,

Fancy schools, with fancy names,
Or fancy fees…..it doesn't matter
You didn't have it but he will have it,
Unreasonable wants and extreme stubbornness
Its all okay for you…….it doesn't matter,
What matters is …
You didn't have any of those,
But he will have all and more,

Cartoon characters on the milk bottle
Is turned into a play station’s latest version,
Dream of owing an automatic toy car
Is turned in the latest bike with the maximum cc,
But you get it for him

without even a second thought,
Because it doesn't matter,
What matters is

He wants it and he will get it,

Desperation of catching up with the latest fashion,
Or latest handset of N-Series,
Those college trips,

Pizza huts or Mc Veggies or CCD,
High tech music systems

with X-plode surround sound,
It doesn't matter to you,
What matters is the smile and satisfaction

which you can see in his eyes,

And his dreams:
Dreams: of wanting his father to become the soccer dad,
Dreams: of his father’s support when he has one to one with the frontbencher,
Dreams of his father tucking him into a good nights sleep,
Dreams of getting the monthly pocket money on weekly basis,

Dreams that once were yours...

But it doesn't matter …..
He will have it all and more….
You close your eyes,

Suddenly the woods become denser,

dusk becomes dawn….
Now You see…

A little child standing at the door

with a deep scratch on his knee,
Waiting for his father to turn and look at him,
Child is 7 now making a sand house

from the dirt on the path way,
Still waiting,

Child is 14 now trying to gather courage
To ask his father to buy him a pair of bell bottomed jeans, or
Ask him for the new movie playing in the theater tonight,

Child is 16 now listening to his favorite radio show,
On a broken radio with a pencil stuck to it
So the frequency doesn't change,
Child is 18 now he wants to go abroad for studies as his father did,
His father looks at him shrugs and gets back to his cigar,

Child is 22 now struggling with his life,
Turning back he sees no one holding him, no words consoling him,

You force open your eyes….
Dusk is back again…..

the sky can’t get any darker…

He jolts through the front door…

All excited… “Dad Linking Park is playing tomorrow live

…just 1000 bucks can I go?? plzzz!!!

Watching him you think of that broken radio of yours
Lying in that old wardrobe….
You wonder about all the times you tried saving to get it repaired….
But somehow never came around to it…!!!
Take it tomorrow son before I leave for the office…You replied!!!

"Dedicated with lots and lots of love to someone very close to my heart"

Written by - Ritika Patel