Metamorphosis

Poet Draco Rose uses free-verse to break down their world during a pandemic, taking you on a journey of change and self-evolution.

Metamorphosis by Draco Rose

In the beginning

You were anchored,

But now,

You’re adrift.

The pool of uncertainty

Gently lapped at your sides

As your body shifted

In its smooth waves,

Your core kept warm

By the soft summer sun

As the tide slowly curled

Into your being

Softly lulling you

Into a sense

Of peace.

In the beginning

You were adrift,

But now,

You are lost.

You are no longer floating

Just struggling to survive,

Fighting an ocean

You blindly thought was a pool.

The ripples of uncertainty

Turned to waves of anxiety

As you foolishly pray

To return to your shore.

In the beginning

You were lost,

But now,

You are found.

The rise of the moon

Seems to quell the sea’s anger.

Deep blue mountains

Sinking back

To the tide.

The moon reads your heart

And decides to take mercy

As your weak human legs

Transform to a tail.

In the beginning

You were found,

But now,

You are free.

From Poetic Verse to their Real-World Counterpart.

Stanza One

“In the beginning

You were anchored,

But now,

You’re adrift.”

It was the extended

spring break we

never anticipated.

An extra week off

turned to two, then

three, and for many

of us, that first

month...that disruption

to the norm, was welcomed.

Stanza Three

“In the beginning

You were adrift,

But now,

You are lost.”

Remember that welcome

feeling we had in March?

Well as April rolled into

May, that feeling turned

much more dangerous.

So many people were getting

sick, the isolation was

taking its toll on

society, and George...

Breonna...There aren’t words.

The world broke, and so did we.

Stanza Five

“In the beginning

You were lost,

But now,

You are found.”

Uncomfortability

& accountability

were the themes of

summer. I won't speak

for everyone, but

the sudden attention

to injustice (specifically

racial) and the drive we had

to change, be better,

and mean it...

I can’t say how long this

will last, but for the first

time in a long time, our pain

felt seen.

Stanza Seven

“In the beginning

You were found,

But now,

You are free.”

Here we are in the

early stages of September,

checking racism at the door

while eating cloud bread

on roller skates. Though I wish

The circumstances were different,

I can’t say I’m not thankful for

The change. 2020 has kicked our ass

But one thing is clear.

We’ve outgrown the old world,

I think it’s time we explore a new one.