fresh views with shanglin li
teardrop fiction by michael van bree
fresh views with shanglin li
teardrop fiction by michael van bree
The teardrop makes its way from the beautiful emerald eyes , making a track through the dirt on her cheek , the saltwater stinging the cuts and scrapes along the way . A clean white strip of flesh is left in its wake , amid the black and red . It burns away months of dirt , picked up gradually after she ran away from home . The branches tore at the lily white skin , making it pucker , bleed and scar . She tripped and fell several times , giving her further scars , and dirt sticks to the cuts and tears . The tear still rolls on her face , finally coming to rest on her chin . She makes as if to wipe it away . She stops . What is the use ? Others will come and rest , following the same path , resting on the same spot
Illustration by Randy Harris
The teardrop falls . As if in slow motion it falls , making a perfect reflection of the world around her . The sky stains it blue , the trees make it green , the ground makes it brown , and the snow makes it white . The world is in a drop of salt water . She sees this , and tries to capture this tear , to capture the beauty , to capture the world , but she is too late . It is all for the better , though . The teardrop falls and hits the ground , destroying the world within , and in its place , a white carnation grows , and where the dew on its petals sit , you can still see the world reflected from that one small tear .