———
The prophecy was announced

The one that would turn Sophie into a hero 

When I was ten
Sophie had run up to me
she snatched my hand up

and we wondered to our woods,
past that ancient trees,
through the same winding path

She knew everything
That was for sure
when she spoke
you would know she was right
kinda like grown-ups
except
she talked about
Games or knights and dragons
Knowledge that mattered.

“Anyia! We have to play a game!”
“I came up with it in math class and  it’s my best idea yet.”

she gestured widely with one hand
Holding mine with the other
Not understanding the rules

That was my favorite part
in that gentle excitement
our game
carried a potential
too fantastic
To be weighed down with reality

When the prophet was announced
She was buzzing
and chattering
I was observing
and admiring
we had heard about it of course
the prophecy
we knew it was going to be announced
that whoever it talked about
would be special
and responsible
a hero
that they
would save the world
it mattered
it mattered of course

in the same way
that the elections mattered
in the ways that the “economy”
and energy shortages mattered
it mattered
That it wouldn’t affect
our castles
the spelling test that Friday
her coming over to build a fort
us drinking lemonade

It wouldn’t change

Her

we would go to the center of town
and they would tell us
who the hero is

and then we would go home

I would read
about impossible adventures
she would explore
coming back with impossible adventures
all of it would matter
so much
and none of it would matter
At all