Friday, November 1, 2013

An ode to something that I cannot name, but can try to describe

Vicious and frightening…more like tender and comforting. When his ancestors ruled this Earth, he may have had an easier time living up to his name. But growing up a wee bit under-developed, it is more than likely he always had issues with body image. In fact, two inches in height is quite a variance from average for his kind. It is unfortunate for him, because his monstrous predecessors had no evolutionary contribution in his modern development. A man in China decided his fate, pulling one lever after another, watching boiling blue plastic trickle into a mold. When he finally emerged, upright and frozen, he was no longer the fearsome creature one recalls when hearing his name. In fact, hundreds, if not thousands, of his clones were created after him. Red. Yellow. Orange. Green. Blue.

He balances upon his hind legs, arms too short to have much visual impact. Yet, his stance suggests terror, or perhaps a puppy begging for treats. His head is shaped like a hammer, a hammer that could not even do the job at hand. His thick tail may be his only redeeming feature, thrashing about…if it were not also immovable. The softness of his body reminds one of an eraser, and appropriately so. His kind are always known for being erased, wiped out…extinct.


Tiny creature adorning my office space, you bring joy to me every day. I anxiously look at you in hopes of adding a bright blue sparkle to my dreary day. As you lay in my palm, I am reminded that everything, no matter how big or small, is transient. You make it acceptable to hold onto one’s childhood, because you also represent fear. The fear of growing up.

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