The World Ended. Then It Began

A poem about the endless cycle of death and rebirth

I left my religion behind

The world ended.

I found myself

I came out and was kicked out

The world ended.

I found and chose my family

I dated abusive men

Their anger crushed my spirit

And cruelty almost killed me

The world ended.

I escaped

A global pandemic struck

I failed out of college

The world ended.

I survived

I started transitioning

I laid her to rest

The world ended.

I resurrected him

I was sexually assaulted

Again and again and again

The world ended.

Then began again and again and again

The world ended.

Toppled right off its axis

Like God stopped spinning by hand

We leapt from the edge

Not knowing what would greet us

Fed ourselves into the void

Flossed through its jagged teeth

Until they sank in

And shredded our flesh

Again and again and again

Then the world began again

And again and again

We start with an end in sight

Every time

Every greeting is followed

By a goodbye

Every relationship inevitably

Bites the dust

Every star is destined to explode

In billions of years

When our solar system orbits

An expanding nebula

Sending shockwaves that engulf

Our little blue home

Doomsday prophesies will be fulfilled

We’ll go out in blazing glory

No defying gravity

But with each collapse

Comes a supernova

A new universe is born

With each death

A new being with each breath

And we begin again and again

From here to eternity

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