By Pramod Rastogi
FREEDOM TO DREAM
Dreams I see are seamless and clear.
Yet, when I try to recollect them,
They appear blurred and distorted,
Their threads so loosely woven
That the essence slips through the gaps,
Leaving little behind for the dreamer
To gather into a garland
And give his visions a narrative.
Most of the dreams I see are fleeting.
They seem to leave no trace upon my mind.
I can scarcely recall them later.
Yet, when I reflect upon the freedom
Life bestows upon us,
I find, in whatever wisdom I possess,
That it is the freedom to dream
Which surpasses all others.
Its untouchable nature makes us free
To dream without restraint.
A freedom fighter, condemned
To mount the gallows at dawn,
Can still dream of liberty
For his country until his final hurrah.
The noose settles slowly around him,
And he drifts into his last sleep.
Yet his dream endures.
Martyrdom still shines within it,
And though his eyes are open no more,
A smile lingers in their memory.
Pramod Rastogi is an Emeritus Professor at the EPFL, Switzerland. He is a poet, academician, researcher, author of nine scientific books, and a former Editor-in-chief (1999-2019) of the international scientific journal, Optics and Lasers in Engineering. He was an honorary Professor at the IIT Delhi between 2000 and 2004. He was a guest Professor at the IIT Gandhinagar between 2019 and 2023. He is presently an honorary adjunct Professor at the IIT Jammu.
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