A Dream Revisited

We were little red leaves,

Fallen, assumed dead,

Blown into a heap,

Carried by the wind of change

Past walls built with the

Steel and concrete of

Soulless oppression,

Painted gray with the

Indifference of hopelessness,

Blackened by the

Death of liberty.

The old bus rode

Into the night, and

We dreamt of a new

Sunrise in the west.

For too long,

Eastern skies hung over

Our heads like the

Low ceiling of a

Country cottage made for

Modest dreams,

Made to hang only

Humble ambitions on.

Too many grayish mornings and

Dusky afternoons found us

Huddled under the

Dim light of a single bulb

Casting a gloomy sadness

On our broken,

Bleary-eyed future.

Little did we know that

What we desired more than

Canned soup or exotic fruits on

Sagging shelves was something

That cannot be bought in

Well-lit stores, nor is it sold

On either side of the border

For any amount of gold.

Author's Note

Communist rule in the People's Republic of Hungary came to an end in 1989 by a peaceful transition to a democratic system. After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was suppressed by Soviet forces, Hungary remained a communist country. As the Soviet Union weakened at the end of the 1980s, the Eastern bloc disintegrated. I was 14 years old at the time. For the first time, we could travel to western Europe freely.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this can also parallel the movement from east to west here in the States...
searching for gold we went west...conquered those who held and loved the land...took it as ours.
I don't know that we had the right to do that....much like the Soviets now and what they are trying to do by taking over another country...oh, the resistance is beautiful.Powerful poetry here.
j.

[Laz K.]

It's a remarkable thing to realize that we aren't just students of history, but participants in its great spectacle.

Thanks for reading and commenting, j.

[Lisasview]

Wow, Laz… what a powerful message with send to all that read this wonderful poem of yours
I read your description and got chills when I read your last lines about being able to travel freely.
Although I have traveled to many places there are countries I will never be able to see… this is so so sad…
Lisa, now in beautiful Spain

[John the Baptist]

The Cold War hangs heavily over this one. I imagine the people did hope for a sunrise in the west. I recall well the uprising of 1956 and the freedom fighters who held out until they were crushed by the Soviet tanks. The last lines hint at what those people were fighting for: liberty.

[Laz K.]

Your knowledge of history/memory is impressive. October 23, 1956 is a national day of mourning to this day in Hungary.

This poem actually started as a flashback: I heard a song that I was listening to when I was on that bus going toward England. It opened a floodgate of memories. However, it's also interesting to look back and to see how history and narratives had changed over the years. History does seem to repeat itself: Hungary longed to join the free world, but now, due to complicated factors, she finds Moscow more attractive at times than Brussels.

Thanks for reading and for commenting.

[Gee]

What were your thoughts when first travelling abroad Laz and where did you go.
Having been confined to the shores of the UK until the age of 10, by lack of funds, it was an eye opener to travel by plane to Switzerland then ferry and coach to Germany and Holland, all 3 trips to play football. All 3 countries were so my cleaner and well maintained than the UK.
Nowadays we hop on and off planes without a second thought.

[Laz K.]

We went across Austria, Germany, France, all the way to London. What did I think? Hah, that's a great question. The smells, the flavors, the streets...all different. Some illusions were shattered, some nice memories were made.
Thanks for reading and sharing your experience as well. :)