Golden Gentlewoman Poem by Raj Dronamraju

People were once entertained here
They stood in line and they stood in rows and they felt part of a positive patchwork
People were once entertained where we stand now
They held their breaths and they held their tickets and they didn't try to preserve it on their phone

I wish I could find that spot that now seems light and inconsequential
Love has been canceled out in areas of radiance
This light filled gentlewoman can be viewed differently by everyone who sees her
We see only the glare that masks poorly remembered humble happiness

People once lost their minds here
And they clapped their hands and they clapped their open minds
It was easy then, she showed us what she actually looked like
We relied on her for the running of the home and outside

Your bulb of brilliant rearing has long ago burnt out
Nothing specific comes to mind in glittering recollections
Only flashbacks that are hotwired to the senses
I don't know if it was a feeling or a human being, this recognition of a period of joy