Blake's Dream

 

A thunderstorm woke him
on a humid Manhattan morning,
West 63rd at Central Park West.
A dream still playing in the back of his head.

Stretching out, he thought of a
freshly baked bagel with a shmear,
with black coffee from the deli.
Smokes bought at the bodega.

A room at the Y was never in his plans.
He yearned for The Dakota - the house of mysteries
He'd walk past there, then visit the park.
Strawberry Fields Forever.

His dream was Broadway.
He studied with coaches:
acting, voice, fencing, dance, and song.
A small town boy with ambition.

And then, one day, it happened.
He met a Mr Elliot,  who invited him to model;
said he'd travel the world,
meet the rich who'd buy his favors.

Blake weighed his options:
trade his future for instant benefits, or
continue with his studies, 
hoping to make it in a world 
where the odds were not in his favour.

Was his talent enough?
Was he lucky enough?
Could he make connections with the help of the rich?
Blake was on the horns of a dilemma.

The agent dangled the perks of being a rent boy,
never stating the obvious drawbacks.
Blake hadn't the notion that he'd be a hooker.
Would greed sway him to the other side?

His friend from Iowa came to visit.
He smuggled her into his Y room.
After telling her of his options,
she raged that he'd be lost,
if he turned away from his dream.

Mr Elliot insisted on a speedy choice.
His friend insisted that he choose his dream.
Blake insisted that he wanted more from life;
He chose to grab the brass ring.

He made the wrong choice.
The rich chewed him up and spit him out.
His novelty wore off too soon.
They abandoned him to his fate.

He's back home in Iowa now -
chastened and broken.
He's seen the aching hollowness
of walking away from his dream.

©Ellen Pepper 2026