Phosphophyllite?“ Ocean and the sky, Phosphophyllite thinks, staring off into the deep waters.

Phosphophyllite?

“ Ocean and the sky, Phosphophyllite thinks, staring off into the deep waters. An endless circle. ”

Phosphophyllite

A useless gem

Fragile

Too weak to fight

Too slow to flee

Naivety lost them both legs

Sincerity acquired them new ones

With a newly found material, agate, integrated

A newly found speed is also discovered

A blessing disguised as a curse?

Or is it the other way around?

Winter has arrived.

It means hibernation for most

Awakening for one

Antarcticite

Phosphophyllite tags along

Wanting to learn

Reluctance at first

Companionship at last

Whispers of temptation in the ice

“You got stronger by losing your legs

How about losing your arms as well?”

Liquid gold replaces Phosphophyllite’s arms

Yet

they are still trapped,

unable to move, unable to help

Shhh…

“Take care of the others for me”

Ignorance has finally left Phosphophyllite

But those gone cannot be replaced

    What is left?

Phosphophyllite

No longer useless

No longer weak

No longer slow

No longer themself

Was it worth it?

Was it worth what was lost in the process?

Phosphophyllite turns

The memory of Antarcticite haunts them wherever they go

There’s a sharp splintering noise, as if the air around Antarcticite is cracking like glass

But before Phosphophyllite gets the chance to apologize,

the memory dissolves like gemstone crushed into dust,

blown away by the wind

Phosphophyllite wakes with a painful rush of adrenaline, a cry half-buried in their throat. It’s nighttime. The stars are high and clear above them, crisply white like winter’s first snow.

fleeting scenes of amusement and light smiles surround them,

a chance to surface for air. 

Ocean and the sky, Phosphophyllite thinks, staring off into the deep waters. An endless circle. Fields of grass wash up on each side like a tides of emerald.

Spring has come.