mirage (definition poem)

Photo by Joshua Hoehne

mirage /məˈrɑʒ/

noun

1. standing at the horizon—hopeful, dancing on the sea where waves would rise to carry us; together, forever. watching the rainbow glow of the setting sun—slivers of moonlight soaring silently above with the stars. before, back when our skin still carried no scars. someday we’ll reach it. our lives have yet to come.

1. memories can feel like dreams, sometimes. maybe they are.

2. deserts and endless dunes of soft sand, the thirst thrums with my heartbeat, overwhelming, my mind now dysfunctional, delusional, dissonant—hallucinations have slipped into my sight from the edges of my eyes. we’re oceans away, but there’s no ocean in sight. i drink the salty water of what’s left of my tears. reality is no longer real—i can’t tell what i’m supposed to be. someday we’ll reach it. our lives have yet to come.

3. the faintest song is wailing in the night, waiting to be heard only to be forgotten moments later. someday we’ll reach it. our lives have yet to come.

1. i wonder how many stories there are that no one will ever hear.

4. time flies like the owl, silent. but i am not wise—only left with stories that have not yet ended, as i slowly break the promises of my youth, one by one. my dreams have died, and yet they linger, as if taunting me with past mistakes, bringing only regret. someday we’ll reach it. our lives have yet to come.