Once Upon a Time

By Kiera Lhys
Artwork by Iris Lo

Once upon a time.
Simple words that begin a fairy tale.
Fairies, and magic, and evil queens,
And happily-ever-afters.
Once upon a time.
There once lived a little girl.
Her mama ran away without a thought,
Leaving her alone with Papa and Granma,
And her once-upon-a-times.
Her papa got her a new mama,
And her granma went to heaven.
Still, the little girl kept living
In once-upon-a-times.
She grew up a dreamer.
Her mind was always in the clouds.
Reality is fantasy, and fantasy is reality
With once-upon-a-times.
The little girl always felt alone.
She didn’t know that God was always near,
Even when she loses herself
Within once-upon-a-times.
A trusted friend finally showed her
God’s outstretched hand and unfailing love.
The girl reached out and took His hand.
No more once-upon-a-times.
God has saved her from herself
And has redeemed her from evil.
If not for God, she would still be cursed to live
Inside once-upon-a-times.
There is no life within fantasy.
God gave new life with new meaning
The moment she accepted Him and
Left her once-upon-a-times.
Once upon a time.
Simple words that bring only emptiness.
In Christ alone, I place my trust.
Simple words that bring happily-ever-afters
When He calls us home.