Before the Helmets

Someone told me long ago
You must believe in magic
I stared into a tapestry of dinosaurs and cogwheels
Salamander silhouettes
Paper planes and rocketships
You must believe in magic
Your creatures made of plastic is the first thing I recall
And once in a dream I stole my father’s eyes
And I climbed out of the skylight
I followed the moon over the rooftops
To the silent salamander skies
Danced in the mist across the asylum
Where the sirens echoed in the snow
So many years ago
You must, you must believe in magic