Author: The Editors

The day had been worn down and left in pieces. Rain drops hurry down the window without any hesitation. I long to feel even the smallest ray strike my cheek, but I know all warmth has evaded me. A subtle residue is all that’s left of my better days. For just a minute, I swear I could remember what it was like to bask in the light with those I love most. I swear I almost could recall what it felt like to be refreshed by a cold breeze, without it forcing the hairs up from under my skin. My emotions have bound themselves to Earth’s erratic phases. With every gust of wind my heart lurches. With every icy drop my eyes pour out their secrets. I long to break free from this dreadful relationship. Oh, how I miss those better days.

Through the glass
The clouds — their impending cry
A dance I cannot escape

The wind throws me back and forth restlessly, but the tall trees remain still. Her bulging roots reveal past battles, a set of scars that make up her foundation. The branches that have fallen become a victim of Earth’s mighty breath as they are thrust against the base of the tree. Her rings tell stories of the many years she’s stood strong and her saplings promise to preserve her legacy. Come fall, the leaves will abandon the tree, leaving their mother barren and exposed. I think of the times when I, too, have changed. Who else had to endure the pain of my development? In that moment, I realized that the steps of growth I view as improvements may feel like a series of abrupt hurricanes to those that surround me. Change is inevitable, but growth is reserved solely for those who are willing to accept disaster as payment for their progression.

Branches sway
The one who has seen all
Warns only those who listen

I gaze into the pond, but the ripples hide its true contents. Bubbles of air rise and fall, as if the pond is breathing for its inhabitants. The surface appears still, but I know that beneath it, water flows brutally against the rocks and sand. The exterior glass reflects an image that I am reluctant to analyze. A sudden ray of light breaks through the top layer and distracts me from my vulnerability. It’s an entire world, completely hidden from all of nature. Those who stumble upon it are few and their discovery is always made without intention. I think of the little I have seen and how much I have left to experience. Until this day, an entire community of life has been living quietly without any familiarity from myself. Whether an overcrowded city or a minute blade of grass, each fragment of earth is a magnificent universe that I couldn’t possibly recognize.

Under my thumb
Life persists undisclosed
A small fish buried in blue satin