ONCE UPON A LONG TIME AGO

Once upon a long time ago

When the clouds were pristine and robust

And the rainbows smiled to the world beneath them

Forget it….

My pen is suddenly too heavy to hold and falls to the cherrywood desk

An ant crawls up the edge and I slam a hand on it to stop it forever

That was a long time ago

A long, long time ago

When I was still carefree enough to write in loose lazy letters

That with every one drifted deeper into a realm of fantasy

Once upon a time

Like I had the time to put on kids shoes and write a children’s story

And a sentence later tantrum about hating peas and carrots

Partly because they were soggy and partly because it wasn’t pink or ketchup

I sigh

When did life loose it’s ‘once a upon a times?'

My finger taps rhythmically against my lips

Opening old rusty chambers in the back of my head

I pick up my fallen pen

Wipe the dead ant off my desk

And wistfully start to write

First slow and uncertain

Then steady and self-assured

And when the sheet is more black than white

I head to the first line I left out and write

Once Upon a time…

I will never lose those wistful days