think of life as a visit to the aquarium

stood stock still, perhaps with a loved one

perhaps alone

gazing at the tranquil verdi-gris wonder beyond the glass

mottled raphaels and muddied catfish grazing the bottom of the huge tank

the darting shoals of corydoras, scales gleaming in the golden light

the fluorescent coral reefs sheltering thousands of miniscule beings

 

now imagine a crack in the glass

a hairline fracture giving way to a steady trickle of water

afraid, we plug the gap with our finger, feeling the pressure against our pad

another crack appears

another tiny hole

we plug this with a credit card hastily drawn from our pocket

but to no avail, as another crack appears

perhaps we plug this small hole with a cigarette

another hole with a pint glass

another hole with our brand new iPhone

the television

the media

pornography

we realise the list of things we can use is endless

and so it is meant

 

turning to stare into the fractured pane

we see a kind face

telling us to let go

to let the water pressure burst through and bathe us

let it wash away the futile things we use to plug the tank

 

and we begin to wonder

if what is on the other side of the glass

is what we should be afraid of

or whether we should simply remove the distractions

the technologically imposed loneliness

the debt and the decaying liver

and offer ourselves to the deep blue ocean

beg forgiveness at the feet of the universe

and smile for the first time