I Dreamt Of My Father Last Night Poem by Dr Ronnie Bai

I dreamt of my father last night
with an indifferent boy to his height
out from a hazy meadow into my sight

on his face was this grave grin
as he paused a little for me to join
while the boy looked away in vague pain

I might have been curious who he was
but father took out his cigarette case
that exuded its old taciturn wince

humbly I took the cigarette
though we both had long since quit
and leaned forward for father to light it

somehow my rusty puff snuffed out father’s light
the only inexplicable one for the night
while my apologetically lit cigarette was alright

I handed it over for father to light his cigarette
which he puffed hard but could not manage it
even if the two were closely joint tête-à-tête

knowing it was a dream I did not want daylight
in that haziness my cigarette was only thing alight
I waited and waited for father to get his light —