Up on the shelf sat a porcelain ship,
Marble cream,
Many times moved, but still had a gleam.
Other ornaments had come and gone,
But somehow,
The ship sailed on and on
For many years, until-
A knock-
Sending the ship up to the moon
In almost-eternal limbo,
Before plummeting-
Crash!
On the floor.
A mess that's been seen endless times before.
A thousand fragments
Everywhere, unreachable.
When shaking hands tried to save the ship
There were too many missing pieces.
Hopeless. Time to give up.
Who knew
There had been so many cracks,
Silently creeping and waiting
For one sharp moment of pressure.
The ship had been destined to sail
A different sea, but
It wasn't meant to be.
Empty, for a while.
The ship's absence was too loud
To make room for new ornaments.
But then, a figurine of four girls,
Laughing until their stomachs hurt.
And then, another!
A group of children gathered around
A nervous, but serious teacher.
And then, another!
A woman, mid-run, pony-tail flying
behind her.
Those vivid figures on the shelf
Were blinding, real, new.
Looking up at the shelf
And seeing that ship missing
Still stings a little- but, the colours,
The life, the joy brought by the new ornaments,
Feels like toe-tickling waves
On a summer's afternoon. It feels like
Getting lost in a never-ending labyrinth
Of history, and stopping for a coffee.
It feels like a new home.
Thanks to everybody who made me smile in 2014. I hope 2015 sees you chasing your dreams, catching them, and being rewarded with countless smiles. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment