Brooke Zerbs Poet Narrative

Down to one

Down to one.            1

Back when we had the freedom of the day                   8
We spent all of it playing outside
Dusk seemed so far away
The sun beat down on our youthful faces
Our giggles and heavy breathing filling the air
We wanted it to last forever
But the hours passed by
And just like the setting sun, we were down to one. 

Then our parents called us to dinner                  7
“Come and get it or we’ll feed it to the pigs”
And we sat down at the table
Bare feet tracking dirt over the hardwood floor
The setting sun shone in our eyes
As our grubby hands reached for burgers and buns
Until they were down to one. 

The years passed, and us children got older          6
Growing up and maturing in the blink of an eye
A million times we played imaginary games
A thousand times we jumped on the trampoline
But as we got bigger, we stopped knowing what to do
Until our options were down to one.

But we weren’t the only ones growing up                                     5
And the wrinkled hands that once held us disappeared
Their lungs, their hearts, their brains all failed
Until five turned to names on a stone
Until we were down to one. 

Now we’re the happiest we’ve ever been                 4
But time is ticking fast
They’re so much older, they’ll leave once they're done
And now the years are down to one.

Because friends leave                      3
And family dies
Until you’re down to one

No more “we”                   2
Just you, alone

Because everything came down to one.                   1

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