I Onced Upon These Times Poem by Francie Lynch

I Onced Upon a Time

Before the demon arrived,
We had whole milk, treated water, sugary soda pop;
With a helping of weak tea and peanut butter and jam sandwiches
Between slices of bland-white bread.
Coffee or juice was not on our liquid diet.

Before we rode in used cars,
We crawled like the Sphynx, teetered like a Japanese high rise, and walked... everywhere.
We straddled metalcross bars when chains broke;
We roller-skated, skate-boarded, and hitch-hiked.... everywhere.
If we'd had battery-powered scooters,
Our games of "Catch the Flag, " "Chase" and "Red Rover"
Would have landed us in detention,
And our fathers would never find out... always.

Before portable screens
Our camera lenses were upside-down, and subjects were frozen till the "click."
TV's were in expensive wooden cabinets, with dials, knobs and "short wave" and "ship to shore".
(though they only produced static)
And the kitchen drawer had two forks with bent tines to replace the lost dials
(burnt knifes would arrive ten pubescent years later)

Before there were church pews,
Before there was stained glass,
I saw creation in your eyes;
The bells rang softly over your heart.
Before songs and murals and art,
Before we fell apart,
There was you.

Before you,
There was only an idea of my Universe.