Broken Glass
by Michèle Nardelli
Along the hot, white beach, it glistened green,
bright among the scallops and periwinkles.
Strange and smooth, mother sun shining through it
like an omen.
He took it into himself, kept it as a talisman.
Deep in his skin bag, he could trace his fingers
over it, feeling its hard sparkle, a twinkle
in his pocket.
At night he listened to the grandmother and
grandfather stories, looking for the meaning of
the green stone – was it a tree spirit, tumbled and
lost at sea?
It entered his dreaming, large and ominous.
A staring lizard lens, looking into past and future,
and it grew heavy and brooding in his soul.
An ugly premonition.
Glinting, green, eyes pierce his night
from armies of relentless men
who wait in boats as big as mountains,
to stride ashore.
He wanted to say something, tell someone,
to preach a warning about the wanton tides.
Yet it defied all explanation, it was a puzzle,
an encroaching green.
Instead, he went down to the ocean to find the place,
and return it to the sand and sea, to un-disturb
the harmony it had broken - fiercely hoping
to stem the tide.
About the Creator
Michèle Nardelli
I write...I suppose, because I always have. Once a journalist, then a PR writer, for the first time I am dabbling in the creative. Now at semi-retirement I am still deciding what might be next.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (15)
Awesome poem, very well done…
As I read it I could hear the ring of swords clashing, I could smell the rum and the sweat and the tang of the ocean. The last verse, you wrote "the harmony it had broken". Did you perhaps mean the harmony "he" had broken? Just wondering but very nicely done!
Beautiful visual. Loved this story telling poem ❤️
Beautifully written. I flowed with the heartbreak.
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Beautifully written.
Such a complete and delightful story that is thought provoking yet told with so few words.
I may have ascended to a higher level of artistry simply by reading this. Time will tell. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing
I'm just exploring poetry and I enjoyed your work, thanks!
Wonderfully worded. Thanks for sharing your work.