Here I Stand
Sorrows Caress
They said that time would wear me smooth, wash me pure, wear me down — sand away my edges, and drown out the person I pretend not to be.
I failed.
Pull apart my bones, tear me asunder, leave nothing whole left to name, like driftwood smashed on cragging cliffs.
Penitence.
They said the sea would teach me: softness, humility, surrender. Stand on an ocean headland as the storm rolls in and know — really know — you are small.
I tried.
But sorrow's grief has grown a ghost in me, and prayer slung hands soon turn to fists.
Fist to harm.
Years have passed. And the story of me is marred by scars more than celebrations.
Unafraid.
I learned to bend, not break. I learned to break the things that would not bend.
Alone.
I became the storm — the thundering wave, the far cry, the pounding on the ocean floor.
The monster.
I became the Kraken, for those who sought to see truth too deep.
Here I became — Me.
When time and tides are done with me, here I stand. Alone. Unbroken. Resolved. Unmoving. Salt-bitten. Storm-marked. Scarred. Whole. Unapologetically.
Here I stand.
About the Creator
Theosis Northam
I believe everyone has a story to tell, a song to write or a gift to share with the world.
I believe there is magic in the world, and sometime you find it in a great story.
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One Unchecked Box
"Republished" because it was the only way to add the embed for the newly recorded audio version of this story due to the Top Story badge. Plus it serves as a nice, informal announcement of the podcast's revival for another season (go subscribe!):
By Stephen A. Roddewig7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (6)
Wow Theosis! You have a way with words. A silky smooth read!
wow
I sure found the magic in your story! I loved this line, not just for it’s excellent use of the word kraken, but also because I related to the idea so much. We are missing so much depth and it’s a relief to find those who feel the same. “I became the Kraken, for those who sought to see truth too deep.”
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
AUTHORS NOTE: Please re-read each short stanza in reverse order, for the hidden prose within the larger work. Please comment when you find it.
Really strong entry, I like how it kind of subverts the idea of time (and sea) healing and instead making you harder