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.