Recycled

This place, so cold and dark save the occasional bright streak of a passerby, though no greeting was ever given. If lucky, my trajectory would lead past the large glowing inhabitants of the nothingness through which I was traversing. I would visit them every now and then. They would always greet me with warmth though they never spoke and unselfishly lit the way with their heavenly radiance, quelling the screams of angst and loneliness, most unwelcome passengers they were. Some of these radiant beings were bright red or orange, some bright white and all smaller relatives of their much larger blue cousins. If unlucky, I would fly through flocks of mindless travelers with no regard of those around them. Selfish things, never giving right of way and always painfully pushing past me without so much as an apology. I despised them!

It had been a long time since fate led to the beginning of this pilgrimage, a crusade to find a place that I could call home. A domicile in which I would start all over. Growing, learning and even loving again. Not to say there had not been some riveting prospects throughout my travels, though none really strong enough to draw me in. Then, it finally happened! A tiny blue speck in the distance, almost too small to see at first. The closer that I got only aggrandized this feeling of excitement radiating throughout my core. My pace hastened and energy began to crepitate all around me. I knew that this is where I belonged, and fate had not forsaken me.

***

I awoke to the bright stimulating warmth that slowly began to encompass my body. The air was very thick and balmy, leaden with precipitation and dense fog which hung low to the ground below me. It had been many years since establishing my home here, though of how many I could not recall. What I could say is those years proved full of excitement and thrill. I watched as scaly, feathered organisms interacted with each other. Some predator and some prey. These curious creatures obviously lacked the cerebral capacity to do much more than eat and reproduce. Some were bound to the water, some the ground and even the sky. Some were fortuitous enough to interact without impedance to all three biomes. Entire species would be replaced with a newer rendition of itself. Some disappeared entirely leaving no visible indication that they had existed at all, like vague memories with hints of veracity.

Unfortunately, I was also witness to the inevitable demise of these creatures that once roamed freely around, above and below me. It had become a common habitude for me throughout my lifespan, always outliving most things of which I learned to live with and learn from. It no longer consummated a feeling of sadness and dejection as it once had when I was much younger. I had learned that this experience was the way life had played itself out, invariably.

It was still very dark and early in the morning when I awoke to a brilliant light accompanied by a multitude of thunderous explosions as my, then unbeknownst to me, new love drew ever faster towards us. Landing with such force as to ignite flames around her, sending large fragments of terrain into the distance far beyond view. Dark clouds encompassed the sky above and large bodies of water were dispersed. I closed my eyes, patiently waiting for the chaos around me to settle.

Much time had passed before I again felt that familiar warmth begin to blanket my body. I slowly opened my eyes and there she was. In the distance stood the most stunning object I had ever seen. She was very tall and covered in beautiful patches of green and gold. The water and landscape that she had displaced when she arrived now embraced her as it did me. New organisms now peregrinated the waters of the sea, dirt of the land and the air between the two of us. Some of them covered in different colors of thick fur and some with feathers or scales. It was those that walked on two limbs which interested me the most. They were smaller than most of the other life forms. Their bodies bald for the most part, but it was that of which they were capable of that impressed me the most. I watched over time as they learned to create flame from rock, weapons from stick and stone and communities to live in. They were very intelligent creatures for the most part but lacked the wisdom I was accustomed to as evident through the many conflicts they had amongst each other, most resulting in deaths of their own species. This I could not fathom.

***

Many more years had passed and what I awoke to as of late truly was cause for concern. Those tiny organisms, which once stirred within me so much intrigue, now had multiplied to numbers that seemed ostentatious. Very little environment was left for the other organisms that once had shared this land in harmony. Large structures replaced the once lush vegetation that covered the land between my love and me. The air was no longer fresh and instead discharged pungent aromas displeasing to my senses. The water that once kissed the toes of my love in the distance now receded beyond site.

Of biggest concern, however, were the seemingly infinite confrontations amongst themselves. It seemed that the larger their population grew, the further from intelligent creatures they became. It was almost as if they had devolved back into their most primal selves, yet still controlling the power of the creations they seemed most concerned about.

I looked over at my love as the winds carried my whisper of “good night” to her. I believed that she felt as I did and anticipated that my show of admiration would quell those fears that she must have.

***

Many more years had passed and the world around me had transformed beyond recognition. The lands surrounding me had become desolate, transformed into something of which I no longer wished to be a part of. Long ago, these creatures had destroyed my love. I watched in horror as they stripped from her the green and gold colors that had once covered her skin. Watched as they ripped her apart down to a fragment of what she once was, extracting her insides to power their insidious creations. Large plumes, clouds of white smoke and debris followed by thunderous explosions, grew from the terrain as far as I could see. My body shook and vibrated as I once again closed my eyes, waiting for the chaos to cease.

***

I awoke to the sound of twisting metal and snapping terrain. I could not focus intently enough to identify what was taking place before me, vibration and undulation replacing all use of visual senses. The guttural rumbling beneath me grew strong enough to shake me from my home. Then, with one last violent burst of percussive energy, I was ejected into the dark, electronically charged sky above me. Flames and melted stone reached for my toes, feverishly lapping at them with hopes of tasting my skin one last time. I watched as what was once my home, broke into infinite chunks of stone, fire and dust. Then there was nothing but that eerie silence I had escaped so long ago. Now I was all alone. Fate had again set into motion a new pilgrimage, a crusade to find a place that I could call home.