​POETRY  - 
    With the Theme of Dreams 
 
"A dream is a fantasy that should not 
 necessarily frame a life."
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Dreams Are a Fantasy
by Vivian Imperiale

​I'm a whimsical person
so I liked the idea
of following my dreams.
 
Once a man I had never seen
appeared in my dream as my mate.
Years later I met him in real life
and, drawn to the romantic notion,
I married him.
He proved wrong for me.
 
Once I had a dream of what career to pursue.
I enrolled in college without considering alternative majors.
That seemed so logical at the time.
It proved wrong for me.
 
But, in retrospect, I know I made the best
of my marriage and my degree
to learn and grow as a person
and use those skills elsewhere.
 
A dream is a fantasy
that should not necessarily
frame a life.
Let them be thought-provoking;
let them be entertaining,
but let your waking hours
be those that set your path.
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​​Since age six, Vivian Imperiale has been writing poetry to identify and process her emotions about the world around her. She soon learned that her poems could be meaningful to others. A friend touched her with these words, "You gave me words for an emotion I didn't even know I needed to express."
Other works in this issue:
Poetry:
​Our Dream-Like Six Years


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Vistas & Byways Review is the semiannual journal of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University​.​
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​Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University (OLLI at SF State) provides communal and material support to theVistas & Byways  ​volunteer staff.