EDIT MY DREAMS

You can twist my arm to get your way.

You can make me feel small by what you say.

You can suggest what I see is not what it seems,

But you ain’t gonna be able to edit my dreams.

You can throw out threats to keep me in line.

You can constantly belittle any idea that is mine.

You can try to make me come apart at the seams,

But you will never, ever, edit my dreams.

My dreams are stronger than your efforts to control.

You may confuse my mind, but you can’t have my soul.

My dreams are the visions that keep me strong,

A special place where you will never belong.

So, I may calmly listen as you expound

Explaining to me how the world goes round.

I may alter my style to fulfill your desires.

I may edit my speech to make you feel higher.

Although I may smile at you with a nod and a beam,

I am thinking, “You cannot edit my dreams.”

Nancy P. Holder - 2020

(Honoring the Centennial Year of Women’s Suffrage)