Earlier this week I had the greatest compliment paid to my writing, when my poem ‘Life View‘ was likened to a moment from Thomas Hardy’s ‘Jude the Obscure’ – thank you!
When I was a teenager/young adult I read a lot of Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen, and coincidentally ‘Jude the Obscure’ was my favourite Hardy novel. I think it was the bleakness that appealed to me, as Jude (a dreamer with unfulfilled hope) strives to achieve a better future but it all falls apart. It’s not a novel with a happy ending.
Looking back I’m surprised at my youthful appreciation of Jude’s character and motivation and now understand that I am like Jude in many ways, a dreamer wishing for great things. And maybe I always was.
Always a Dreamer
To calm yourself in times of stress
Close your eyes and worry less
Just float away from chaos and strife
And yearn for a tranquil peaceful life
Just a dreamer escaping this world
Afloat on the sea with sails unfurled
You wish to achieve great success
At everything you want to be the best
But dreams may clash with reality
And compromise is often necessary
You move through life setting goals
Always a dreamer in heart and soul
copyright © 2018 Karen Horsley
My favourite Thomas Hardy poem is ‘A Thunderstorm in Town‘, which you may read via the link, if you wish.