What Is Our World Made Of?

Posted on July 23, 2025 by mitchteemley

world-in-his-hands

It was the world they were born into

The one they’d been given

Although they’d long since forgotten

The Visitor who came and filled it with glass

Which was said to be immortal

They had to admit it was beautiful

Through it they could see the world as it was

Including one another

Although some preferred to block the view

And look at themselves instead

Because living in a world of glass wasn’t easy

It needed care and cleaning

Or it would become ugly and distorted

Plus it was fragile

Some even said vindictive

For when they were careless

Pieces would break away and cut them

So one day they made something better

Or so they thought

They called it dross

And it was made from their ancestors

Who’d died long ago

When the world was young

It wasn’t beautiful

In fact it was foul and murky

And stained everything it touched

But it was compliant

It would take any shape they gave it

Serve any purpose they assigned it

They couldn’t see their world through it

Or one another, for that matter

But they liked that

For they could make things look

The way they wanted them to look

So they loved their dross

And in order to make room for more of it

They shattered all the glass

Turning it into sand

And dumped it in the ocean

In time, however

The substance they’d made

Or rather the substance made of them

Began choking the world

And killing everything in it

Including them

After ten thousand generations

They’d become their ancestors

And the world stood empty again

Waiting

Until the Visitor returned

And saw that nothing remained

Nothing, that is, but the ocean

And its sandy shores

So the Visitor scooped up the sand

Melted it back into glass

Then refilled the world

And said

Let’s try again

About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
This entry was posted in Culture, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

24 Responses to What Is Our World Made Of?

  1. moragnoffke says:
    July 23, 2025 at 12:53 pm

    That’s lovely.

    Reply
  2. L.G. says:
    July 23, 2025 at 1:15 pm

    Nice

    Reply
  3. Abe Austin says:
    July 23, 2025 at 2:14 pm

    Wow, this is extremely impressive Mitch. You crafted a fictional world so captivating that I get totally lost in it, and yet at the same time the symbolism is so clear that I immediately see the reflection of the real world in it.

    Reply
  4. Carolina Mom says:
    July 23, 2025 at 2:22 pm

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  5. Jack Gator says:
    July 23, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    Good prose Mitch. It got me thinking about creation. I am not sure yet I understand your version. As I read out of L Engle’s ‘A stone for a pillow’, when a butterfly gets a broken wing it affects galaxies thousands of light years away. Connectivity of all creation and the bell tolls for us. I will save this one of yours and read it a few more times. Thanks for the stimulation.

    Reply
  6. UAÍMA says:
    July 23, 2025 at 4:28 pm

    “Their empty world with glass…”
    Ah, yes, here is a clear verse, open like a fan.

    Thank you for visiting UAÍMA.
    Darlan M Cunha (Brazil)

    Reply
  7. Any Element says:
    July 23, 2025 at 7:02 pm

    The problem is that most people do not see the reality anymore

    Reply
  8. Piano girl says:
    July 23, 2025 at 11:11 pm

    Wow! That’s beautiful!

    Reply
  10. peggywritesblog says:
    July 24, 2025 at 10:01 am

    Beautiful, Mitch! If we were given a “do over” would we do any better?

    Reply
  11. Hod says:
    July 25, 2025 at 1:52 pm

    How to stop poeple destroy this world!!!

    Reply
  12. My Avethandwa says:
    July 25, 2025 at 2:00 pm

    Water…n souls🤔

    Reply
  13. The Oceanside Animals says:
    July 26, 2025 at 12:27 pm

    Java Bean: “Ayyy, but wouldn’t it be nice if it were made of cheese, like the moon … ?”

    Reply

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