A Question of When, Not If by Gabriel Lia

When books smell of smoke,
When poetry mutes
When silence disturbs
When sweets bitter
When stargazing ends
When countryside is put aside
When flowers become perfume
When all we do is consume
When acting is life
When prayer is ritual
When gifts are mandatory
When quality time is quantitative
When walking alone is daunting
When fields are monetised
When body prioritised
When art is simply funding
When love is sex
When love is valentine
When fun is drunk
When racism is us,
When becomes Then.
Then I used to love life.
This poem is one of the chosen entries for DESA’s Valentine’s Themed Poetry Competition.