Dying of the Light

Blinded by the Headlights

I didn't see it before

How the birds almost danced as they skipped along

Too happy to care about the humans watching

As they skipped toward the grains

Didn't realise that birds could sing

Too busy in the world of horns blaring

Notifications glaring. 

Didn't even look up

At this sky –

This magnificent sky

Didn't gaze into the clouds

Had no time to ponder

About how the sky was so blue

So unrelentingly blue.

Or about how the clouds turned gold

As the sun slowly died

Before,

I had no time.

No one had any time

Everyone was busy

Running this way and that  –

Managing a quick hello

When we ran into each other

But,

No one stopped

We ran

And we ran

Around and around

The same way

Every day.

Didn't stop to catch our breath

Didn't realise

That time was cheating us.

Too fast it flies,

We complained

But don't you remember?

It was our fault

We let it slip

Through our fingers

Notoriously fast

We were the ones

Who decided

To be ruled by alarm clocks

And frenzied blue screens

We were the ones

Who cut down the trees

And choked the sky

Until all that remained

Was a skeleton

A skeleton of a land

And mechanical hearts

Because we forgot

That happiness

Cannot be manufactured

Cannot be pushed into a brown box

And tagged with a price

Happiness was always here

All around us

But we –

We were too blinded by the headlights

To ever see the stars.