There was a moment

There was a moment

Before the passing of time

Into what would become

The past

When the future was what

We made it

A phrase so easy to say

The words rolled off the lips

With all the trite

Self-righteous sweetness

Of another mindful

Self-affirmation

Designed to help

The healthy feel good

And promote

Helplessness in those

For whom choice

Was a luxury

They were rarely

Able to afford

Little did we know

That history

Was what we lived

If we survived

It would be ours

To tell the stories

Of our lives

To frame the narrative

As a reflection

In our own image

If only we had

Someone to hold our hand

And cared

Enough to listen.