Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time, the way I felt meant the most,
My presence lit every room, and I was happy to boast.
Not of gold, riches or fame, nor any power I could wield
But the freeing of quiet truths that I'd now dare to shield.
Back then, a glance could spark a thousand dreams,
And joy would ride atop the sunset or then, so it seemed
I brandished my soul not tucked away or closed,
But as an open book, unfiltered, exposed.
The time would pause only to hear my deepest sighs,
Realization that my tears were met with cold, undiverted eyes.
Each hope I held, even in fleeting thoughts, now ghosts
Once upon a time, the way I felt meant the most.
But time moves on and my feelings I learned to hide,
Beneath the calm exterior, my hearts storm will reside
Now reason dictates where passion used to lead,
And bandaids are worn to conceal every need.
Increasingly faint, in dreams, that echo calls me near
A fading, whisper from my heart, “You're still alive, able to feel, let it not be in fear."
Times have changed, a few switched up, I learned to keep my feelings close
There’s always that vague memory of once upon a time when the way I felt meant the most.

- KH