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!”
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