From Home We Dream

Inspired by Clifton Jospeh's "I remember back home."

I REMEMBER BACK HOME
In the waning hours of eve
When the scarlet-red sky would unfurl
With the whiskers of a thousand suns
And underneath those flaming clouds
I would relish the twilight breeze
Bike rides and laughter after sunset drained,
Basketball games in the asphalt lane
And as I walked beneath the vault of stars
Dreams fluttered abound in the innocent air.

And with those dreams I turned them into pictures
Computer programs, moving flickers
On the keyboard for hours on the clock,
I remember learning about how this tiny little box
Could create fuel for thousands of imaginations
And turn dreams into the treasures of nations.

And I remember back home
Amber leaves dripping off the trees,
The mid-autumn sun that shadowed
Blackened streets and freeways
Which sheltered fondest memories of midnight drives
And I remember back home
Going back to school
First, in the dust of construction
And then as the neighborhood grew around me
From something new into something I knew

I remember back home
The howling storms and harrowing blizzards
That screamed so violently against the brittle glass walls
Oh, and the frigid frost that would bite your camera-wielding fingers
If you so carelessly had left them exposed
Yet, there was still warmth In the blankets and fireplaces
And the fragrances that wafted out from atop the stove
On the eve, or, perhaps, a good Friday
And the comfort that came when we crowded ‘round the table
Is a feeling that I doubt I will ever forget.

I remember back home
The twisting streets and avenues
That gave way to dreams
And the boulevards of broken dreams
From the people I knew who did not believe
I remember back home
Of course, I do!
It was the place where I had gained my dreams
My values, my goals, my desires
But, we cannot realize our visions and ambitions
Until we, confidently and resolutely,
Step out from beyond the front door
Of the place that we so lovingly call home.