‘My Dream’

Just when I turned 6,
I had a vivid imagination,
Of becoming a super hero,
Who could save the world in a jiffy!
That dream is long lost as soon as I reached 10.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 14,
I knew that I will be the only reliance of my parents.
So, I had to give it all to my academics,
Keeping my hobbies aside,
With which I used to find solace.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 18,
Life had never been this hard.
Stressed and burdened with all the thoughts,
'Is university all I want?', 'Am I Doing it right?'
It's not like I had an option.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 20,
Drowned in joy,
That moment when I was burning with the felicity of love,
A sudden reminder that everything could end, finally arrived.
I consoled myself, 'Love was not for me'.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 25,
Since job hunt was inevitable and I had to win this contest,
All these years I worked really hard,
Lest I couldn't make my family proud.
The pressure was permanent.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 30,
Working in a relentless and conventional way,
I thought to myself,
'Am I doing enough for my family?'
'Did I make my parents proud?'
Several thoughts went around my head.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Just when I turned 40,
Being a father I realized my parents were not as wrong as I thought they were.
But I had decided, my children will not live the way I did.
But living a struggling life I came to realize,
Reality is not as pretty as this world.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.
Now when I'm 50,
My hobbies and aspirations had died long before I could even realize.
The hollowness I feel within me is never forgone.
The exigent demand for livelihood has taken its toll on my life.
My dream of becoming a hero is still imprinted on my memory.
I understood that reality is nothing like my dream.

The poet is a second year student of Dhaka University, Institute of Health Economics