The Lights Went Out
On the Fourth of July in 2022
The lights went out on the fourth of July
In 2022, by the end of June
Darkness had crept across the country.
Like an eclipse in an afternoon, when no one knew it was coming.
Going about their business like people in a Breugel painting.
Slowly something moved over the sun, but still, no one noticed.
The day was passing when I felt the creeping darkness.
Long before a normal summer evening
Long before nighttime, long before bedtime, long before anyone was sleeping Sadness descended, shadows were everywhere.
Vision was something from the past.
The lights went out in our country. Could you see it? Could you feel it?
Did your skin grow clammy? Did your heart beat too quickly?
Did you quickly look behind every moment?
The lights went out in our country, as darkness settled over my city.
