Once Upon A Now Poem by Dónall Dempsey

Here, I see us
as if we had lived

long long
ago

some detail
only an historian would know.

Our laughter
unknown now

only guessed at

or pieced(painstakingly)
together

meticiously ressembled

dead now
many times

but to this
man's gaze

who in his need
to know

the time
that was ours

reconstructs the sunlight
haloing your hair

the laughter of so
long ago

the sudden nakedness
of your shoulder

as a dress strap
falls carelessly

& except by me
is paid no attention to.

Now, in this time
where we no longer
exist

where the historian
tired of his research

goes home
to his wife and kids.

Still the trace
of us

clings

to cold historical fact.

The book
is given back

(signed back in)

the white gloves
returned

all facts
sleep on shelves

shelves after shelves.

The library
(for tonight)
is closed.