Once,
we were lovers
lost in the maze of crumpled bedsheets, new wine, and old books;
discovering each other’s body
like two mice in an infinite maze.
Once,
I remember we ran
as if the wind was at our heels;
dodging the corpses scattered on the streets
like addicts after a rave party.
Once,
we laughed
like teenagers tripping on acid;
up we went like two balloons
until our heads poked the clouds.
Once,
we cried, or one of us did,
as if the world had abandoned us.
And all that was left
was a murdering silence.
Once,
the world collapsed
on our feeble chests;
we quietly died
underneath the weight of duty.
Once,
we were children;
we played little games and acted big;
unaware of our innocence
until they got tainted and maimed.
Once,
we were dreamers;
on ordinary skies we built ornate palaces
and in empty pockets
we filled simple memories.
Once,
when we were lovers
life felt like life and nothing else.
