Written by Cato Jun

Edited by Rodlyn Mae-Banting

it all started out

with eh.

just emptiness –

consuming you

in a dark chasm,

sinking lower and lower.

just hollowness –

staggering along

by gripping the edges,

searching for something to fill.

just eh.

—-

then there was

a splash of blue:

one with a hue

of the pacific sea,

specific cerulean

to match the vast sky.

yes, it was empty,

but it was not just emptiness.

—-

this emptiness had a fresh feeling:

a space to soak it all in,

an air with swirls of cooling salt,

a wave at creativity.

the emptiness had let light

into the dark chasm,

beaming onto the rainbow

of the saturated marine life

and casting shadows

down to the endless bottom.

it was an overwhelming ocean.

—-

then there was

a splash of green:

one that could be seen

within the lowland rainforest,

darker olive

under the hovering canopy.

yes, it was hollow,

but it was not just hollowness.

—-

this hollowness had an exciting mystery:

a vacuum of infinity,

a trail to explore the unknown,

a tunnel of artistic pursuits.

the hollowness had let water

drench through and through,

steaming the air

full of chirps and croaks

and soaking the soil

to allow the vines to roam free.

it was a ravaging rainforest.

—-

the splashes

of blue and green

were paint,

swirled in a round

like a paint can,

like the circle of life.

—-

because the earth without art is just “eh”