I look, and I see you.
There you are. I see you covered in dust. I see you tarnished by mud and dirt. Your sparkle is dulled, your lustre defiled. The grubby little object that everyone passes by, lost forever to the world.
A few stop to explore, and, upon seeing the slime and debris that covers you, turn away with a look of disgust upon their faces. They kick you further into the gutter, then march off without a backwards glance.
Then, strolling on, I behold the beautiful ones. Reflecting the light of the sun, twinkling like rainbow stars. Everyone gathers round, adoring, admiring, their breath taken away by the sheer magnificence in front of their eyes. Their hearts swell with joy; squeals of delight escape their lips. What sparkle! What splendour! What gifts from Heaven! I walk up to them. Their ecstasy is contagious. I feel an answer from within. But my heart remains cold.
I return to you. I bend down to look closer. Hesitantly, I extend my hand. My lips purse at the muck and grime that surrounds you. The stench drives me insane : my stomach begins to roil; the bile rises in my throat. And, all the while, I hear the whispers behind me.
My mind is filled with doubts, but my heart knows what to do. Pick it up, says that deep inner voice, the sound of my soul. Pick it up. This one is for you. Believe me; you won't regret it.
I lean over again, holding my breath against the rot. One hand darts forward. Ignoring the slugs, ignoring the worms, I grab you and thrust you quickly into my coat pocket.
I hear them. The whispers have now grown to a cacophony. What a stupid bitch, says one. What a retarded cunt, agrees another. Someone screeches behind me. Push her, they all say with one voice. If she loves the muck, let her roll in it.
I clasp my filthy hand tightly to my pocket. The slime stains my pristine furs, but I do not care. The voices behind me recede; the song within me rises to a clamour. Tears swim in my eyes as the bliss of sudden discovery washes over me.
I turn away, back in the safety of my head. The yells of the angry multitude are muted. Their lips move, but my ears are impervious.
I stroll past the beautiful jewels on display. I cast my eye upon them again. The gold, the silver, the rubies and emeralds. The sapphires and amethysts. The diamonds shining brighter than the noonday sun.
They are truly wonderful. But they mean nothing to me.
They are as beautiful and bright as they are fake. One day, they will dull. One day soon, unbeknownst to the enraptured crowd, they will rust. They will tarnish and lose their sparkle. And they will be discarded upon the wayside, where they will be swallowed by the noisome ground, never to be seen again.
But you. I will take you home. I will wash you and gently polish you. Then I will wear you with pride upon my hand.
Because. I know what you are. Brighter than the sun. Brighter than the moon. Worth more than everything else in this blighted land combined. Bestowed from the Heavens. The true gift of God. The last of the priceless gems from the chests of the ancient Kings. The greatest ever treasure-find.
I still see the bling on display from time to time, flaunting itself with brash abandon. It is a pretty sight, but it holds no pleasure for me. My heart has been awoken to something of far superior quality. One that mere words cannot describe. One that I will cherish till the end of my days...
I look again, and I see you. There you are. My pride and joy. My little ray of sunshine, my little taste of paradise.
My very own, for now, and forever.
