Broken Glass

"Broken Glass" - Annie Bercy 

My waters were shimmery, the calm ripples massaged my back, the waves perfected the tranquil atmosphere...

It was a wondrous, never ending, cerulean blue. 

I swim in my oblivious open space. 

My scales remain shiny, My skin smooth as the pebbles of the sea.  

I am a normal amphibian. 

I am one with the sea. Its my life, my soul. 

Though I have limited space due to the man-made complex structures that tower over me, I am content. 

Personally, I dislike the humans that dwell on the lands of the earth. 

They are simply inhumane. 

Specific ones throw cans of deceit, foils of hatred, as well as wrappers of betrayal into my sea. 

Into my life. 

Into me. 

As the income of this emotional pollution spread through the area, 

The oil spills of my own tears, the carbonated anger, and plastic bags of humiliation crowded the surface. 

These humans tampered with my waters. 

The problems are all visible. 

My oceans are now black. 

One day, I was captured by a man who thought I was different. He noticed my physique and studied my being. 

Little did I know, he was taking the time to study my mind - 

My thoughts that later turned in to actions. 

He put me into an aquarium that he created for specific fish as I. 

Not just because of the enchanting colors of my shiny scales but because of my mental capacity. 

Certain amphibians as I,

Could hold the most damage in our minds than anyone else.

This aquarium had one rule. 

Our problems could not be shown in the waters of our tank.

With all of the irrational emotions that once polluted our waters, 

We must take it and build up a glass wall. 

All of our problems could no longer appear in our faces nor in our waters. 

Sins as scarlet. Feelings strong and black as tar, 

Emotions so black, its blue - It all mustn't be seen. 

These compounds must be dissolved in the aqueous solution of happiness and become clear and spotless.

So I start building this glass wall... 

I see a girl talking with a boyfriend of mines, which lead to kissing before my eyes. 

It blinds me. 

I blink, and through the glass I see the same boyfriend, - well ex-boyfriend, his face filled with guilt, heart full of unfaithfulness. 

He throws in his kissed lips that spoke of broken promises. 

The sound deafens me.

A drunken father filled with rage drops booze and cigarette smoke into my waters. 

It poisons me.

I see my mother; her hands letting go of a basket full of expectations, her eyes following my every movement, demanding perfection and beauty. 

The act alone enslaves me. 

And with all of this, 

I bind the pollution they caused, and mend together a glass wall. 

This wall remained clear and my tank remained spotless. 

People were amazed at this sparking beauty.

They saw a problem free amphibian, with a smiling face-and a happy heart.

As long as our lives appeared perfect, 

We were satisfied. 

Each day, the same humans came back to throw more pollution my way but I remained strong. 

Day by day, Month by month

The glass got taller and taller. 

Higher and Higher

But it became thinner and thinner

The wall became less steady. 

Each day the same humans would come back to check on me. 

Waiting for me to slip up. Waiting for an ounce of the pollution that they caused to affect my tank. 

But I stood firm. 

But one day they figured it out. 

They saw that the pollution wasn't visible so they balled their hands into a fist and started tapping at the glass. 

Tapping and tapping

The glass starts shaking and cracking. 

I turn and I start thinking, 

"Why are they doing this to me?" "What have I possibly done?" "What do they want?" 

"DON'T TOUCH THE FUCKING GLASS!" 

The emotions I tried to keep inside, 

The pain, the contained tears, were in this glass and it was now cracking slowly. 

Though I tried to keep in this horrid pollution for my future protection, there was a flaw in the blueprint. 

He who captured and put me here didn't realize that  building up this wall of emotions would've be the end of me.

See, anger has no foundation. Nor does sadness, or regret. 

Those feelings were the base of this wall therefore those walls had no foundation. 

The glass stood too high at that point. 

Together, those individuals slammed the glass one final time.

I couldn't take it anymore. 

The glass of my boiled up emotions that I so carefully put up, 

Shattered into the midst of my life - in the waters I inhabited. 

The oil spills of my tears poured out like gushing waterfalls.

And now my waters are black. 

As I start from the bottom again.