Moonlight’s Net
Christine Wang
Her heart — barely beating — shatters
on the shore,
a thousand shards of broken glass
a feeling so real
for a nightmare.
She had walked on the same beach once,
when she was in the waking world
her father had loved
and pointed out every gull
claiming that their bright eyes reminded him of her
and her mother
but now the gulls did not seem to
stare inquisitively at her as they did before
they tore off their glass hats,
yellow legs bent in hostility
yellow beaks pecking at the air
a furious balance of anger and fragility.
The shore of stained glass dreams
washed up old memories
clenched fists
swollen eyes
broken dreams
and though none of this existed truly
as she still remained asleep on her bed
she still choked out a bitter wail
that resonated distortedly
from the abyss of her delusion.
From the heart — or lack of heart
of the frothy ocean waves
fears claw their way out of the fabric
Ghosts of her deceased mother call out eerily
too late to prevent the girl’s father
from leaving so suddenly
leaving so definitively
leaving the girl so broken, a barely beating
heart cast out onto the shore
Yet it had been too long
too much time wasted being lost
in this nightmare
day and night
she knew she had to continue
It was her best friend who led her through life
barely there but still present
crucial — like moonlight
an eternal net of comfort
and with her help the girl waded
precariously through the heartless
and distorted images
with her help, once more the blue of the waves
wrapped soundly around the red stains
and the intelligent, white birds
flew in circles once more
around a clear, blue sky
the gulls replaced their glass hats,
legs bending in a gentle greeting
beaks pecking with curiosity
Their yellow feet, their warm, yellow beaks
presenting a new shade of hope
a newborn dawn crying out,
a memory to carry her
through, to help her survive and live
another day in reality
Without a single glance back,
she boldly kissed the now soothing tide farewell
daring to forget its entirety
and without a single regret,
she silently dropped through the moonlight’s net
and into the glimmer of dawn
a fading, yellow silhouette in the sand.