"Once upon a time"

A phrase we created,

But what does it mean?

What "time" was then stated?

How far was it then, how close is it now?

One must wonder and question or at least raise a brow.

'When is this "then" in the past?', I continue to ponder

What story takes place in a time I can't conjure.

"Once upon a time"

No one knows when it is,

But we all know it's where a story begins.