Thoughts on the Winter Thaw

Dreams
by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
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The long winter freeze is beginning to thaw, and a new thing is blooming in my soul. See it there, fragile and delicate, blooming quietly, yet secretly defying any remains of late frost to wither its newfound petals. Behind her lies the dead remains of seasons past--seasons of regret and pain, now but just an interesting backdrop to her bright new world. Do not be afraid to dream, little flower. Whether you end up adorning the brow of a queen or gracing the table of a peasant, your life will not be in vain. Even if somehow you become crushed beneath the feet of fools and folly, your sweet savor will linger on their feet, and they will know that love once lived and died right within their reach.--C.H. Green