Someone drew a line under it.
They ruled it out, scored it through
marked off an end bit,
ticked all the boxes,
pointed out there was no more to do.
A petering out, a suitable metaphor
a fading of hopes, it seems
no chance, no more,
a shattering of dreams.
No-one has a book, a pamphlet, a guide
a condensing of the knowledge
a shortcut to what’s required.
A “learn by experience”
of painful “what ifs” and “could bes”
a tearing of defence
and a rushing of emotions
a confusion
a breaking of delusion
overall, a poet’s inspiration
but in the end, a devastation.