Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time I used to sing To make ends meet and to enjoy the world Of fetishes and darkness, of smoke and perils Crafting a different identity for the light of day

Once upon a time I used to play the guitar Electric sounds and gothic attire Manifesting through the cigarette smoke one more desire As the heels of my boots create echoes in my soul’s fire

This persona is now in slumber I crafted another, tamer and supposedly wiser The closet looks like it belongs to another being Its contents are mine but feel so foreign

Once upon a time my body demanded chemicals to perform Being in front of an audience was unsettling like a sudden storm Like a superhero who puts on a disguise to save the world I put on mine to conquer what I interred

Now I don’t sing anymore, nor play the guitar My clothes and shoes wait patiently for my return This can’t be done without acknowledging the scar That, once upon a time, nested in my heart