By Richard Blanco
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/160880/once-upon-a-time-surfside-miami
From a first read of the poem “Once upon a Time: Surfside, Miami” by Richard Blanco, I found that the main focus of the poem was on the idea of accepting who you are but still longing for the idea of being better. The feeling of regret is a common theme in the poem and allows the poet to create a tone of reflection that is carried throughout the poem. This tone of reflection is viewed throughout the poem through the repetition of the word “Once.” The poem frequently uses the word once to introduce the idea of reflecting on the past for example the poet states “once upon a time are again my loyal loves” and “loving once again with all my joyous regrets.” The use of the word once allows the poet to tell the reader that he frequently looks back on the actions of his life and the regrets on his actions and decisions.
The poem does include many lines that are less clear to the reader. Towards the start of the poem Blanco states “Saving these todays when I can no longer hear how to live out this passion for breaking myself into poems like this.” I believe that this line calls to the idea that blanco is creating these memories of reflection and regret so that one day he can still reflect on the past and know that he accepts his actions and decisions. This line also tells the reader that blanco does this form of reflection frequently and that his feelings of regret are common. The poem also uses the line “my loyal loves still kissing my feet.” This line is used to show that these moments of reflection are usually consistent in not only the nature of the reflection but also in the feelings that come from them. The “loyal loves” is used to represent the waves as they kiss his feet while he walks down the ocean and by including the words “loyal” and “still” it implies that this is a consistent part of these reflections. The implication that this remains constant throughout the reflections creates a feeling of familiarity to the author that implies the feelings of regret that arise are consistent with these reflections.
The poem includes many easy to understand lines though. Towards the end of the poem Blanco states, “I ask again: Who am I? What should I do? The answer as always: Everything.” These two lines are stated by blanco to show that he has come to embrace the complexity of life and to accept whatever life throws at him. Blancos reflection on what has happened in his life has influenced this conclusion from his claims of having “joyous regrets” and “still searching this sea” Blanco shows that though he has experienced a lot in life he has learned that those experiences whether good or bad have shaped the person he is. I found this poem to be very relatable to myself because of this. I have made mistakes my whole life, both good and bad, and I regret a lot of them. But all of those mistakes formed the person I am today and taught me valuable lessons that I will use for the rest of my life. I found this poem to sit with me because of this. Like Blanco I too have learned to embrace the things that life throws at me because I know that they shape me to be a better person.
