Handle with Care

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Joel Pesantez

 

You never realize how fragile glass is until it shatters.

A glass cup thrown at the kitchen floor in anger,

Or a vase carelessly knocked over in the midst of a heated argument.

We always thought glass was stronger,

And could withstand the emotional damage we inflicted upon another,

But the cracks were always there,

We just never noticed how

They were getting wider with every passing day.

Maybe we should’ve paid closer attention.

Half of the broken shards we would try to gather with our bare hands,

Quickly trying to piece the puzzle back together,

Reminiscing over the fragmented memories that brought us together,

But our hands would bleed and blister in the process,

And make us wonder why we even tried to fix things in the first place.

Maybe we should’ve worn a glove.

The other half of the shards were swept under the rug,

Waiting to come to light when we least expected,

When our feet were bare and vulnerable,

The shards slashing open old wounds and leaving new scars.

Maybe we should switch to plastic,

And only address each other with fake greetings and chit-chat like strangers do.

At least it won’t hurt as much when things inevitably fall apart and

shatter.

 

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Joel Pesantez is from Rutherford, New Jersey. He is majoring in journalism and media studies and expects to graduate in 2025. In addition to writing, he enjoys playing basketball and listening to music in his free time.