Once Upon a Now

The following is an original poem that I wrote. I read it recently at a virtual poetry reading called ‘30 Years/ 30 Poems’ which was put together to celebrate the birthday of Olivia Dolphin, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Wizards in Space Magazine. My reading of the first poem starts at about 1:12:50. I’m also going to be posting the text of the poem that I read after this one, which is a translation, next week.

Once upon a time
I lived in a world
where justification
was not obligatory.

Where dreams, could be dreams.
Where we could fly together,
Dancing in an endless silken sky.
You, and me, and our music.
Our hearts wild, free, but belonging.
There was never anything as easy as us.

Now it is not so.

Now, what once were dreams
are nightmares.
Now, I cannot imagine your face,
without their words.
Now, the wind snaps our wings, bloody feathers
rain from a sky that is naught but a wall of grey
and our ankles
twist
and they break.
Now, our hearts are not wild, simply lost.
Now we have forgotten our dance.
Now the music is nails on a chalkboard.
Now– is a wreckage of what was once.

Note: There was a scheduling error with regard to this post and it was inadvertently marked as private & thus went live later than planned. Many apologies!