Appended below is the first poem I had written as part of my graduation from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2003. I also served as an assistant editor for this meaningful project for the essay collection entitled “On the Charles”.
I have a Dream by Yeo See Peng (Summer 2003)
I had a dream
When I was five.
I dreamt that one day
The neighbourhood I lived in would be safe and free of bullies.
I dreamt that I would become a brave policeman,
Like the one in blue cap who always patrolled my neighbourhood.
I had a dream
When I was fifteen.
I dreamt that one day
The society I lived in would be just and free of criminals.
I dreamt that I would become a successful lawyer,
Like the one in white wig who always fought for justice in my society.
I had a dream
When I was twenty-five.
I dreamt that one day
The family that I lived with would be happy and free of worries.
I dreamt that I would become a good father
Like the one before me who always loved and cared for my family.
I have a dream
When I am thirty-five.
I dream that one day
The world that I live in would be in peace and free of poverty.
I dream that I would become a respected stateman,
Like the one in black suit who always dreams of a peaceful, prosperous and democratic world…
So what is a dream? According to the Oxford Dictionary, a dream is an “ideal, aspiration or ambition,” and I would like to add that a good dream must have with it elements of morality, innovation and adventure. And who needs a dream? There is a saying, “young man and his dream.” Although young people are more idealistic and ambitious, I would contend that everyone needs a dream to stay motivated and proactive. But why do you really need a dream? A dream, besides setting the destination in life, also allows you to think of the unthinkable. The latter is important because what the mind could imagine could one day become a reality. When therefore do you need a dream? I would say Always, because the day when there is no dream, there is no hope. When there is no hope, there is no meaning to life. Finally, so what after you have your dream? Well, the next step after you have your dream is to make it happens. This is often the most difficult part, though not always impossible. Well, “no pain no gain,” the minimum you should do is to make sure that your beautiful dream does not become an ugly nightmare.
Throughout history, great men have had great dreams. In Singapore, soon after independence, in 1965, Lee Kuan Yew dreamt of ” a state that would not simply survive but prevail and excel.” In the United States, in the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamt that “all men are created equal.” And John F Kennedy dreamt of a “a Great Society that take care of the poor and the disadvantaged.” Finally, in England after World War II, Winston Churchill dreamt about “a Europe united in identity and purpose.” Some of their dreams were materilaised by the dreamers themselves while others simply provide a vison for other people to achieve them later. Whatsoever, having the dream is always the starting point, and always the most crucial part of the journey.
For the past thirty-five years, I have lived my dreams. And my dreams have grown and changed like myself. I have dreamt of good things for the world, my society, my neighbourhood, my family and myself. I have also dreamt of becoming the people that I have admired most in my life. And I have spent my whole life so far trying to make my dreams come true. Looking ahead, I will continue to have dreams and I will continue to try to materialise them. In the end, even if I could not make them come true, I could at least always look at and admire them in my moment of solitude. I would close with the following anonymous quotation:
“He who dreams is a wise and visionary man, and he who makes his dreams come true is a happy and accomplished man.”
#I have a dream #Lee Kuan Yew #Martin Luther King, Jr #John F Kennedy #Winston Churchill