Where Do Dreamers Go Poem by Alex Jones

For years they surrounded themselves with music, art and likeminded friends. Parties, music and silly escapades were their life. Laughter and smoke drifted through the rooms of the house, followed by a frenzy of devouring every bit of junk food they could find.

Her young life as an adult had begun but without the maturity of an adult.

Every life reaches a multitude of crossroads. Their crossroad occurred when the bills came in, rent needed to be paid and they realized that music, art and parties would not pay them.
Some of their friends got jobs, some went to university, many joined the war, either by choice or by lottery.

Some bought houses and had families. She expected they would do the same. Lacking funds to continue school she got a job. She had to ask her artist/musician husband to give up his music and art. She knew she could no longer be the groupie/party girl and he had no interest in houses or families. She expected things would work out in time.

She had a good job and few expectations, but friends were drifting away into adulthood. They both knew he had to change so he decided to join the navy believing he would stay safely on a boat like the one they used to sail on the lake at his family's cabin.

He forgot about boot camp. Boot camp does not promote music and art, only following orders. In the navy young men were expected to become men of honor and duty overnight. Those were the days of honorable discharges if one had overindulged as a boy. Taking orders was seriously beyond him. So his only choice was an honorable discharge, his duty to marry the fun-loving girl, his best friend, the girl who was always there for him.

Friends are often lost to us. Husbands and lovers are also lost but not forgotten. Sometimes she still thinks of herself as the girl full of fun and laughter but is beginning to finally recognize the serious and responsible woman she has become. The woman who discovered, years later, that her lover and best friend never did find himself. Instead of finding his place in the world he found a gun, put the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.