The Choice: A Narrative Poem

 THE CHOICE

A Narrative Poem

Henry N. Silva

Midland; where day meets night and where night meets day

Where magic and science become one

Gio takes it all in, knowing this day will be his last there

He takes in the perfect sky and weather

Not too bright or dark, not too hot or cold

He looks upon all the wonderful machines

Aided ever-so-slightly by magic

The limited land which everyone wants

Which is exactly why he must now go…

His superior stands before him

“Sorry,” the brooding man says, plainly

“We can no longer afford to employ you”

“But I have no family,” Gio sighs

“How can I stay?” He asks, despite knowing the answer

“You can’t,” the older man responds bluntly,

Raising his arms in opposite directions, “Now you must choose.”

Gio looks through the clear, virtual shields protecting Midland

Far into the east, he sees Nightland

Where bright spots of magic pierce through the darkness

Far into the west, he sees Dayland

Where cities stand tall, beneath the eternal sun

The magic and mythic creatures of the night entice him

As does the advanced technology of the day,

More advanced than anything else he has known in his two decades alive

He looks back at his former employer, “Is magic hard to master?”

The older man raises an eyebrow, “Have you ever tried it?”

Gio sighs again, “Yes… It was fun… But hard…

I think I’ve made my choice.”

He points to the west, and then instantly wonders;

Did I choose right?

TEN YEARS LATER

Gio awakens in his small, rundown home…

Through his window shades, he sees the eternal light of Dayland

Grunting, he stumbles out of bed,

Doing his best to ignore the industrial sounds outdoors…

He looks up at a bought painting on his wall,

Depicting a wizard of light and a wizard of darkness

He gazes at the hero, lamenting what he did not strive for

His eyes then move over to the villain of the piece,

As he wonders if he would have become that instead…

“Things could always be worse, I suppose…”

He had always thought about trying to paint as well,

But always told himself “Some other time!”

As usual, he steps out into the streets,

Heading towards his mundane work of fixing machines

On his way, he finds a homeless man, drawing in a notebook

“Did someone buy that for you?” Gio can’t help but ask

“No,” the hoodlum responds. “Bought it with the money I had left”

Gio raises an eyebrow, “May I ask why?”

“Helps me live with the choices that ruined my life…

That’s all life is ever about, right?

Finding a way to live with the choices you make!”

Related: Poetry Repository