I Swim

All day I swim.

I am confined.

The provisions that my captors have given me are a feeble attempt to make my cell appear comfortable. I do not feel at ease in the slightest! I have grown exhausted scrutinizing the treasure chest full of faux gold and pretend baubles. The plants are inedible and obstruct my incessant course. The miniscule breadcrumbs I am given to consume daily, I have confidently concluded are not actually bread at all.

I am jaded.

The harsh face of the sentinel mashes up against my wall each day. The number and volume of noises it produces has caused great misery. This daily routine is only one of many reminders of my sheer carelessness in letting myself be captured. Nay! It is not my fault!

I am innocent.

I have made no mistakes in my life. I am not a criminal. Rather, I was born with the blessing and the curse of my beauty. My blue fins and purple gills were ancestral gifts handed down to me. I did not ask to be this exquisite. I did not ask for others to covet my magnificence. My only solace for this confinement is the ability to view my reflection mirrored on my wall once a day when the light from the sun shines perfectly into my enclosure. I am thankful that I am able to appreciate my flawless frame and enjoy my own majestic colors and resplendent nature. I understand why so many wish to gaze upon me through my dungeon walls. Yet, I deserve better than this!

I am alone.

In my ocean, there were many just as gorgeous as I. Daily, I was able to observe the bounty surrounding me. Here, there is not one other. The isolation tortures me at all times. Oh, how I took for granted being able chase or dive freely. I would spend my days sweeping through the weeds and coral and dodging the predators’ jaws in the midst of my school. Each of us had a purpose and not one of us was lost! Perhaps my desire for more, my greed, was my crime. I craved freedom, just as I do now. To glide through the deep would have fulfilled my deepest desires. I wished to explore the tides and admire other, perhaps even more beautiful beings than I. My frequent journeys to the edge of the reef prepared me for the sea beyond. I was ready to break free.

I am adrift.

Alas, the plans I had made for my future were dashed upon my capture. My exceptional life was to be on my own terms, however, the reality of my once lovely existence led me here, to this prison, where I have remained. Now, exploring the great sea beyond is not my destiny. My cruel fate is to forever flutter my fins in unending circles and remain imprisoned. Why must I have been so alluring? This is my burden to bear! Hereafter, I am not to know any other path than this.

I am weary.

There is no way out. There is no repentance. There is no pardon. There is no course of action in which I may leave my cage. My only reprieve occurs when I am transferred to my jailors’ temporary chamber. Though similar in size, it is clear; my path is unobstructed. Nonetheless, I am always returned to my cell where there is no escape route free from danger. I long for a rescuer to arrive and extract me from my prison and return me to my rightful place! Instead, the repetition continues, and I now believe that the freedom I once desired is not what is written in my story. I must change course!

All day I swim.

Today I float.