Poem: Wisp

[shiori_makiba]

Poem: Wisp

by shiori_makiba

547 words in 90 lines

Inspired by a prompt from ysabetwordsmith during the April 2016 Thank Muse It's Friday session.

Warning!: Loss of a friend.

“Wisp”

Thon's name was Wisp.

Some Imaginaries changed their names

when they found their next friend,

often letting said new friend pick one for them.

Wisp did not.

Thon rather liked Wisp.

Besides First Friend had given it to them.

An Imaginary's First Friend was important.

They helped shape who you were.

You never forgot your First Friend.

They didn't forget you either

but after a while they

couldn't see you anymore.

No one knew how or why.

Just one day, suddenly First Friend

couldn't see or hear or find you.

That had been a sad day.

First Friend had cried and cried.

So had Wisp.

Wisp had waited a few days.

Hoping that it was a false alarm.

But soon watching Friend look at

Wisp with unseeing eyes hurt too much.

So Wisp drifted away.

Some of the older Imaginaries had tried to console Wisp.

'You'll find a new Friend.'

'But I don't want a new Friend.

I liked my Friend just fine.

Why were they taken away from me?'

None of them could answer Wisp.

Because they didn't know and

good Imaginaries did not lie.

At first Wisp was determined

not to ever make another Friend.

Not when Friends could be lost

so easily and so suddenly.

But one day, Wisp came across a little girl

with bushy brown hair, dark skin, and oversized glasses.

She was also alone and crying.

'Why you are crying?' Wisp asked, not expecting an answer.

Only a Friend (or a Potential Friend) could hear an Imaginary.

And usually only their Imaginary.

But the little girl's head snapped up

and she looked right at Wisp.

She could see thon.

Part of Wisp wanted to flee right then.

But the little girl's startled eyes

were still bright with tears

and Wisp was hurting, not unfeeling.

'Why are you crying?' Wisp repeated.

“Who are you?” the little girl asked.

'Wisp.'

“That's a strange name.”

'My friend gave it to me.'

“Who is your friend?”

'It doesn't matter.

My friend cannot see me anymore.'

And that still hurt.

'Now why are you crying?'

“We just moved here.

I had to leave all my friends back home.”

'That must be hard.'

The little girl nodded,

“Mama said I'll make new friends here

but I don't wanna.

I wanna go back home.”

She started to cry again.

Wisp gently petted her hair.

First Friend had done that for Wisp

and it always made them feel better.

'What is your name?'

“Abby.”

Abby became Second Friend.

Their time together was not all tears.

There was plenty of laughter,

fun and games.

It still hurt when their time ended

but didn't hurt the same way

it had with First Friend.

Maybe because Wisp knew this time

that it wasn't going to be forever.

That one day thon and Abby would lose each other.

So each day had to be cherished.

It was a hard lesson but it was one Wisp took to heart.

Thon cherished every day they got with their Friends.

And wished them well when those days ended.

To accept the pain as well as the joy.

So thon said to every new curious face looking back at them.

'Hello, my name is Wisp.

Would you like to play with me?'