Serendipity

Summary

The poem "Serendipity" reflects on the concept of serendipity through the narrator's disillusionment with the universe and a bittersweet reunion with a past love.

Abstract

The poem "Serendipity" by Jonathan Greene delves into the theme of serendipity, questioning its existence and the universe's intentions. The narrator, a skeptic who has lost faith in the concept of a benevolent universe, recounts an unexpected encounter with their high school love. This moment, initially filled with hope and the promise of a second chance, quickly dissolves into disappointment when the love interest fails to recognize the narrator. The poem concludes with the narrator's further disenchantment with serendipity and a sense of resignation to a life filled with unfulfilled potential and regret.

Opinions

The narrator is skeptical about the concept of serendipity, viewing it as an idealistic notion rather than a tangible reality.
There is a sense of irony in the narrator's recollection of the universe's supposed beauty, juxtaposed with the destruction of natural resources like forests and ice caps.
The poem conveys a personal journey of hope and disillusionment, as the narrator transitions from reminiscing about a past love to confronting the harsh reality of their unrequited feelings.
The narrator's encounter with their past love is portrayed as a moment of false hope, emphasizing the theme of misplaced belief in the universe's ability to create meaningful coincidences.
The poem ends on a note of cynicism, with the narrator rejecting the idea of serendipity and acknowledging their own disbelief in the universe as a source of guidance or benevolence.

A Poem

People always talk about serendipity as if it’s a real concept A moment in time when the universe tells us that we are heard But I never believed in the universe because if it was so special, why would forests be built for later burning? Ice caps built for future melting That doesn’t seem serendipitous

But I liked to listen to people talk about these things as if they were real I would laugh to myself and wallow in my misery A dichotomous oxymoron Basically, me, in a nutshell

And then I saw you when you bumped into me 30 years later My high school love All grown up and perfect in every way You looked at me with your piercing green eyes and words rolled off of your lips like the sound of an angel’s choir Our eyes together as one This moment in time was ours again The long journey of hope ending up here, just where it started Two orphans on a street corner A second chance at love And then your face changed and your mouth spoke those angelic words into my wistful ears “Watch where you are going, asshole!”

And you were off, shaking your head and huffing your breath with no memory of our love or my face

Fuck serendipity The universe failed me again I put my head down and walked away to ride out my days of angst in a cesspool of misplaced mansplaining and melancholy A sad remnant of what could have been All because I stopped believing in the universe I stopped believing in serendipity I stopped believing in you

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