Poetic Whispers

Polished locket

There's a little more depth than you assume

You picture me as someone with a few minor glitches

A harmatia perhaps, yes

But nothing too serious

Nothing that can't be easily fixed

Like the rusty locket you find on a beach

You think if you put a little polish on

Maybe change the chain

I'll be good as new

But honey

Didn't your mother ever tell you

Not to play with what's broken

The sharp edges can sting

There are jagged parts that can never be put together again

Even when it seems okay

There's always the chance it will fall apart once more

And don't forget the missing pieces

You'll spend your whole life searching for

I'm a little more complicated to fix than an unpolished locket

Imagine a discontinued jigsaw puzzle

Passed down through generations

Torn apart, missing pieces

Forgotten and left in the dust

For years at a time

Because they know I'll still be there

Wistfully waiting when the messy closet door opens again

It's frustrating isn't it

Eventually someone who really wants a jigsaw puzzle will come across me

Maybe it will creep in their minds and nag them

That they'll never be able to finish the puzzle

They'll beg to see what I was like when I was whole and new

Before I'd been stepped on, chewed, lost, cracked, and faded

I wish I could gather all my pieces up

Fix myself one last time for you

But there's only so many times you can search for the same pieces

Only so much glue can do to keep me together

I'm not the polished locket you were looking for

Now you're stuck searching for pieces you'll never find

A puzzle that will agonize you for years

I'm sorry you found me so late

My pretty boxed up packaging didn't prepare you for the jumble inside

I'm sorry I'm not your polished locket