SOCIAL POEM: "HOUSE OF DREAMS" BY J.M SAVANNAH

They named it kindly,
Like a child,named before breaking him
A courtesy title nailed to concrete,
a lullaby sewn into iron

Here, hope is rationed,
Hallways tutor the spine,
walls learn the shape of men,
doors recall the weight of regret

Dreams are illegal cargo,
Surfacing only at night,
brief, undocumented,
dragged from sleep by metal tongues

Men holler at cold,gray walls,
Suicidal,like caged hogs
Sprinting the length of tiers,
To smash tender heads into metal bars

Time holds the master keys
It does not strike,
it settles
Days collapse into routine,
routine into obedience

Reform is the approved fiction.
Men exit quieter,
hollowed of appetite,
trained to mistake silence for peace

Beyond the gates,
the city pats itself,
calls this order,
calls this justice
calls this a house

If this is the house of dreams,
then dreaming was never housed here,
it was extracted,
catalogued,
and buried with the builders still applauding

© J.M SAVANNAH INKS
-Zimbabwe

The poem "House of Dreams" is a scathing critique of the prison system, exposing the stark contrast between the institution's benevolent name and its harsh reality. Through vivid imagery and metaphors, the poet reveals a place where hope is stifled, dreams are suppressed, and humanity is eroded. The "house" is a site of oppression, where inmates are dehumanized and reduced to mere objects, their existence marked by routine, obedience, and silence. The poem's irony and sarcasm are palpable as it questions the notion of "reform" and "justice", suggesting that the system is designed to break individuals rather than rehabilitate them. Ultimately, the poem argues that true dreaming – and humanity – is extinguished within these walls, leaving only a hollow facade of peace and order.