I was a flower bud
I had a dream…
To bloom fully some day
And spread my sweet fragrance
On whosoever passed by.
I hoped to adorn a damsel’s hair
And make her feel proud
Or be arranged in a vase
And delight for days to come.
But none of this happened
My dreams were squashed…
I was plucked while still young and green
And ripped to tiny pieces
By an envious woman
Who wanted her flowers to be the best.
I was a caterpillar
I had a dream…
To evolve into a butterfly
And flutter my colorful wings.
Hopping from flower to flower
Pollinating so they could breed even more
And create a beautiful sight.
But none of this happened
My dreams were squashed…
By some hedonistic boys
Who slit me in half
To look me from the inside
Satisfying their evil pleasures
And some momentary delight.
I was a free-swimming larva
I had a dream…
Of finding my way into an oyster
And becoming a lustrous pearl
Someday emerging from the shell
And shining brightly all around.
Adorn a king’s crown
Or be traded by my owner
To feed a thousand mouths.
But none of this happened
My dreams were squashed…
By a wrathful giant whale
Who selfishly swallowed me for lunch
I was razed inside her
And finally expelled from her body
Polluting the waters around.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay