Lilli

“The earth was nothing but a pea

where as her heart was beyond what she could see

with lives slipping through her fingers

she wanted nothing more but to be free

free from a corrupt planet

free from diversity.

she wanted trees to have peace

not cut for money.

but could she make a difference?

could she raise her voice?

one of 7 billion,

was it really her choice?

all in all, she got her share.

the war on drugs was just a dare.

screwed over by the government,

a said, "perfect life."

no one knows were just an experiment”

by Kendra Anthony

Stuck. I was stuck in this rundown shack of a barn. This derisory ol’ barn. Light flooded through broken windows, glass a strewn. Shining on every crevasse of devastation at this time of day. Old memories from previous owners, long since passed, lay scattered all around the tiny barn. Years of weather damage, even plants and weeds growing in the odd corners. Its amazing the thing still stands.

“Derisory..” I repeated out loud. As if I'm one to talk. At a measly three inches tall, I can barely pat a mantis on its head, tip-toes extended. I’m what they call a Lilli, and my parents decided to repute me as Lilly-Pad. For nothing more then the dire motive that I was birthed on that of a Lilly-pad.

We come from all landscapes of the Earth, but for some reason I was hatched right beside this old barn, in the prospering pond that flourishes with life, I can’t complain, it IS beautiful; but I’ve never known my own kind. I’ve only known the stories read from the old pages of elder’s books. Tiny books, only decipherable from that of a Lillian's eye. My parents were long gone, I’ve been surviving on my own for as long as I can remember. With the help of a couple of friends; Betty the old bull, she was a blue eyed, charcoal beauty but my goodness was she stubborn. And then there was Rib, Ribbit the frog, and gentlemen and a not so scholar. They’ve basically raised me, and words can not describe how much I appreciate them.

As I sat on the edge of the window sill, feet swaying with the beats of nature; listening to the dragon flies zipping through the air as few landed on the merrily, melodic marigolds below, the deep croaks of the frogs, and the whoosh of the wind pushing the pond water to its edge.. Painting the shore line until the pussy-willows and the leggy grass danced with delight; I pondered the thought of leaving.

“Well, that’s a silly thought,” Rib croaked, jumping onto the ledge beside me.

“Did I say that out loud?” I said.

“No, but its not hard to read that scowling face of yours,” Betty said through a mouthful of grass as she walked up beside us both. Her owners home wasn’t too far from here, but much too far for my little legs. I’ve only seen it once from a distance but Betty said the giants are too dangerous to encounter. “Who knows what they’d do to ya!” She’d screech.

“There’s gotta be another world out there, another home, another me..” frowning I picked up the little ant at my feet, though the size of my arm, “at least you’re not bigger then me.”

The sun was about to go down and with night, begins a new day. Perhaps I would leave at dawn, when the world sleeps and no one will hear me. Oh, but that would break their hearts. I could at least leave a note. Let them know that I’ll be back, back with a new family!

I smiled at them both, and told them good night. Tomorrow my journey begins.

“Tomorrow..” and then I drifted off.