ALS NaPoWriMo Day 2 Prompt: Create a poem that is a list of your hopes, fears, or dreams
Poem: Is it Real?
It sneaks in quietly–
Surrounding me
Shadowing me
Enveloping me in its arms
Questioning every thought of mine
Criticising every decision I take
Judging every relationship I have
Scrutinising every opportunity I get
Measuring the risks at every step
Silencing my expression
Manipulating my emotions
Shaking my confidence
Threatening my existence
Safeguarding me, sometimes
Alerting me at times, too
But mostly,
Vanquishing me
Suppressing me
Overpowering me
FEAR,
They call it
Fear of silence
Fear of expression
Fear of winning
Fear of defeat
Fear of owning up
Fear of giving up
Fear of hiding
Fear of showing up
Fear of loneliness
Fear of relations
Fear of assent
Fear of rejection
Fear of letting go
Fear of obsession
Fear of surrender
Fear of acceptance
The list continues
So long as I’ve breath
FEAR–False Evidence Appearing Real
I remind myself
I close my eyes
And let this truth take its roots
It’s all my imagination
I can rise above my fears
Gently,
I remind myself
I see something bright
Gleaming as a light
It offers tender warmth
I suddenly feel calm
Like relieved of all the stress
No thought under duress
I hear the song of my heart
I listen to the chirping of my soul
A surge of positive vibes
New dreams taking birth
Abundance I see all around
And the vigour to walk alone
The onset of spring, it seems
The rain that appeases parched soil
HOPE,
They call it
Hope to fight my fears
Hope to smile, defying tears
Hope to dispel darkness
Hope to rekindle radiance
Hope to assuage my qualms
Hope to devise new plans
Hope to understand others
Hope to understand myself
Hope to voice my apprehensions
Hope to unearth solutions
Hope to quash misconceptions
Hope to spread love and affection
Hope to pursue my dreams
Hope to follow the stream
Hope to sow new seeds of hope
Hope for patience to await their growth
The list continues
So long as I’ve breath
HOPE– Have Optimism, Path Extends
I remind myself
©Vandana Bhasin
02.04.2026