My mother tells me when we would drive past factories, I would call them
cloud factories
as if I romanticized the steam,
the ugliness of manufacture, and saw instead a glimmer of
beauty,
I wonder when I stopped looking at the world that way.
with hope.
I wonder when I realized it was nothing but smoke
and noise
and nothing beautiful.
I wonder when I let the world teach me fear instead of expectation
I don’t see clouds anymore.
and yet
and yet
and yet
after all this time, a part of me, smothered by my cynicism, still manages to whisper
what if
what if
what if?
what if this time its dreams,
wishes,
clouds?
what if it doesn’t matter if it really is smoke,
as long as I choose to see clouds?
About the Creator
Chloë J.
Probably not as funny as I think I am
Insta @chloe_j_writes
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (2)
Chloe, I love this. It's simple in what it considers, but I feel that there is deep complexity in the question it asks. Indeed, what if? I relate so much to looking at ugly things and determining some degree of beauty/redemption in them, just to prove to myself that I don't have to be so negative all the time. And I think this poem goes one step further in proposing that the mindset might be able to shift some of the damage, if enough people can will that change to happen inside themselves. Great job!
Very in the world of narrative, and very poetic at the same time. Factories and other industrial complexes can indeed have a great beauty (especially in sunrises and sunsets); but it can't help but make you think about the damage.