Chrysalis
written by: Anthony John Ward
He could still hear the roar of laughter washing over him,
Wave after wave preventing him from catching his thoughts,
While drowning out the serenity of sounds that soothed him,
The turbulence swaying his mind back and forth
As he tried desperately to hold onto something that mattered.
It doesn’t matter; he told himself as he began to gather his thoughts
That had been scattered all over the beach by the receding tides as they slowly ebbed away.
He wandered amongst the debris kicking the unwanted thoughts out of his path
As his gaze travelled towards the horizon.
It got to the point where he was no longer affected by the weather of insults and abuse,
Each insult had hardened him until he formed a chrysalis that protected him from the world,
Where within he was sometimes overwhelmed by the echoes of the past.
He’d been picked on because he was quiet, he could hardly speak above a murmur,
His attention often drifting, taking him further out to himself.
All this time alone made him an island unto himself,
Where he could explore the world and look more intricately at the hidden gems
That they had all stepped over without noticing.
A huge wave of laughter rushed upon him,
But now it sounded more like an applause,
As he spread his wings and soared above it all.
NOTE:
Based on the Prompt – Bloom Through The Fracture
- Chrysalis - June 2, 2026
- Keeping in Touch - May 5, 2026
- Sycamore Gap - January 26, 2026
