I remember ...

I remember

when written words had to be deemed worthy

before being published.

I remember

when the night sky was

pinpricked with white stars.

I remember

a time before we walked around

staring at our phones,

searching for God-Knows-What

(it's a zombie apocalypse, it seems).

I remember

a time when people had conversations,

with no intrusion of technology.

I remember

when people read books.

I remember

when there were many bookstores.

I remember

when we still believed in our public figures.

And I remember

when I wasn’t bitter and anxious.

I forget,

that there have always been

wars, violence, famines, intolerance, misinformation.

And idiots, too – there have always been idiots.

They just didn’t have global platforms

to spread their low-grade bile.

Yes, I must remember all this,

for my own sanity.

And that my life

will still largely be

of my own making,

both good and bad,

an accumulation of

the choices that I have made.

And that what others do

is often out of my control.

I must remember

to enjoy some happiness each day.