Once upon a time

Once upon a time

I read books, and wrote

about books, and now

I curate literary content.

Once upon a time

I protested war, and lit

my anti-war candle, and now

I protest perceived microaggressions.

Once upon a time

I prayed to God, and lifted

my prayers upward, and now

I pray downward to my smart phone.

Once upon a time

itself is no longer

once upon a time

Once upon a time

has become

once upon a spin,

once upon a brand,

once upon a tipping point.

Rumpelstiltskin sits

at his wheel, spinning

straw into what passes

for gold, turning

to demand the child.

Heather Eure at Tweetspeak Poetry has a poetry prompt this week involving that classic fairy tale beginning “once upon a time.” To see what others are thinking (and writing), please visit the site.

Photograph by Larisa Koshkina via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.