Ubi Sunt

Posted on by Reena Saxena

Where are the worlds I was destined to lead?
unmanned spaceships hijacked in orbit—
rendered still by civilizations unseen,
those who choose silence to remain free.

Basements are mute, the sky above scorns
forgotten futures abandoned by life.
How old would that aborted child have been—
a foetus dissolved, yet aching to be?

Where are the artists who birthed the impossible?
Heckled for daring, not echoing norms.
They gave me fire, they gave me dreams
-those who sold vision, but found no eyes to see.

Was it a tsunami or quake that ripped designs
It was a force that swallowed a capsule of time
I survived to search, with a dream to redeem
-the junk dealer closed shop before I reached.

MTB: Ubi Sunt

RXC #395

30 thoughts on “Ubi Sunt”

  1. Cycles and waves… each generation has its plus and minus of good and not so good. One persons junk is another persons treasure.

    May we still yet find some treasure in our lifetime.

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  2. Pingback: Reena’s Xploration Challenge #396 – Creative Experiments and More

  4. Youthful ambitions, the unrequited search for legacy, the disappointment with self, the times we find ourselves in – what is not said directly in your poem is evoked, Reena – a great write…

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    1. Ubi Sunt is the MTB prompt at dVerse. It means “Where are they?” It is picked up from a longer Latin line, and the words “Where are they” had to be included in the poem.

      Thanks for the effusive compliments!

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  12. This is a hauntingly beautiful and deeply evocative poem. 🌌

    Your words carry a rare blend of cosmic imagery, existential questioning, and raw emotional depth. The opening stanza immediately sets the tone, contrasting vast unmanned spaceships with the silence of unseen civilizations—an image that feels both futuristic and timeless.

    I was especially struck by the second stanza—“How old would that aborted child have been— / a foetus dissolved, yet aching to be?”—such a powerful line, merging the fragility of human life with the weight of unrealized potential. It lingers in the mind long after reading.

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