Poetry

Memories, Sacrificed

The mundane things of my past

Which are sacrificed by time

Become martyrs in my mind

Red barked conifers grasping towards the sun

Blanketed in ferns and crossed with paths

Trooped by kids at summer camp

The harsh heat of reality is blocked by the shade of the forest

Now, 

Facing an uncertain future

The trees become a martyr in my mind

Rolling hills and steep sea cliffs

Encompassing the region from end to end

They’re rarely ever green, less so blooming

Yet there's a comfort in the predictability of the seasons

Now, 

Facing the final moments of the only routine I’ve ever known

The landscapes become a martyr in my mind

White metal gantry cranes lining the waterfront

Stretching their long necks over the water

Loading a rainbow assortment of containers to and from the port

The city grew around their rhythm, we revel with pride in their shadows

Now, 

Facing the task of growing my own identity

The metal sculptures become a martyr in my mind

Glass towers shimmering in the sun across the bay

Each year the skyline seems to grow taller

Upon an unstable land that was once sand dunes and marsh

Their heightening requires their foundations to be sown deeper and deeper into the ground

Now, 

Facing upheaval

The buildings becomes a martyr in my mind

I never paid much mind to my environment

Counting on its consistency

Finding safety in the ordinary

It’s absence lights a fire underneath me

Burning at my feet that try helplessly to regain stability

Becoming a martyr for what was but will never be again