THEY KILLED MY DREAMS
Claudette Thompson
They killed my dreams
Savagely ripped them from the deep recesses of my mind
I was disdainfully referred to as, ”Your kind.”
They claimed I was going insane
Described me as far from being urbane.
How dare I think I could be an inventor, a scientist, a teacher
I didn’t have what it takes to be a doctor, a manager, or a preacher.
They killed my dreams by telling me I could not
They threw out the plot
Rejected my story.
I was pushed aside to make way for those who were born at the right place;
Into the right family. Those who spoke with grace and who had a certain face
My wide, flared nose and my jet black skin
Were deemed a sin.
I was sent to the back of the class
Overlooked
Treated like a crook.
They killed my dreams
But they never killed me
And so majestically I rose up again
Like a flower bursting forth after a shower of rain
Miraculously resuscitated
After being mentally emasculated.
A new dream was born within me
I fuelled it with bold audacity.
I made a vow
That I’d never bow
To another man’s insensitivity
Nor his cruelty.
With vehemence my inner voice screams,
“No longer will you kill my dreams!”
Jamaican-born writer, poet, published author, and teacher Claudette Thompson, has been teaching children for more than 30 years. She has been a “Wordsmith” her entire life. Ms. Thompson's mantra, “Words are my toys and creativity, my game,” explains the exuberance and originality she brings to her writing as well as to her job as an educator. In both her Jamaican as well as her Bahamian homelands, she has meticulously honed her craft as a Red Cross volunteer, speech and writing coach, and a charismatic public speaker. To date, Ms. Thompson has won numerous teaching and literary awards. Ms. Thompson currently resides on the island of New Providence in The Bahamas.
Ms. Thompson's book, Take The Wheel-English Literature Made Simple & Enjoyable, a book of prose and poems for students is available in paperback and Kindle.
Enjoy other writings by Claudette Thompson.