When I was born, there was nothing around me. My Lord was kind and raised each of my pieces with his own bare hands. At the time, almost one hundred years ago, I felt like I was unique in the whole world. So, I felt happy that my Lord decided to live with me. And when he came, he brought his Lady. The Lady was the kindest Lady I have ever met. Even though she rarely spoke to me, she treated me gently. She planted a great garden with flowers of every kind in front of me. When she opened my eyelids, every morning, I could see the blooming white roses and when she opened my mouth I felt invaded by the sweet scent of the orange trees. At first, I was excited, but as she treated me with so great care I started to fall in love with her. I felt whole.

My Lord and my Lady had many little Lords and Ladies, who would run through my veins and climb to the orange trees. I welcomed them every time. Every time they were hurt or sad, I welcomed them and my Lady would solve all their problems. Every time they were happy and joyful I welcomed them and my Lord would share their happiness. Every day in the morning my Lord left and I felt sad, but soon enough he would pass by me, riding a giant and metallic animal, noisy on its iron path. But even though my whole body shook when it passed, I was happy because my Lord would wave at me and my Lady would bring him presents.

As the time passed, more like me were raised around my space. I did not care about them because all I could care about was the happiness of my Lord and my Lady. They were also only concerned about the safety of their own lords. The seasons changed and new flowers appeared. The dew of morning would invite crickets, whose songs ringed on my body. The seasons changed and I welcomed everyone, the invitees of my Lords and those that just came by and left. I welcomed the magical hummingbirds that my Lady loved so much, and was proud that the flowers planted for me were visited by them. I welcomed the proud thrush that, in reward, sang for my Lady and trusted me to take care of its fragile eggs. I welcomed the ovenbird to build his house under my eyelids. Thanked, the adorable creature constructed the most perfect little oven I had ever seen. I welcomed the kiskadee every season and was glad to listen to its scream, symbol of lush and nature, when it left to see the river, its lover. And I welcomed all the sparrows, all the birds, singing or not, that wanted to rest under the shadow of my head. This made my Lady happy and I was happy for her as well.

But then everything started to change.  The little Lords and Ladies grew and turned Lords and Ladies. That gave them the power to leave my humble body and raise their own places. Only some of them stayed. Things started to change. I felt bad inside, like the order of everything was twisted. The orange trees in front of my eyes had nobody to pick their oranges, the roses started to rot away. And my little friends stopped coming. Finally, came the time when nobody opened my eyelids and I was left in the dark. I was angry, I was so angry; I could not understand why my beloved Lady was ignoring. Why the wonderful smells that she created inside of me disappeared and were replaced by fake ones, why the spiders, usually so neat, were starting to gather in the corners of my veins, why the ovenbird was replaced by wasps, those were my questions. But nobody listened to them. So, I tried to look inside and realized I was old. I’ve heard that, in other places, beyond a space called sea, there are creatures much older than me, so old that they may have even seen the beginning of the world, right after the first Lord and the first Lady were created. But I felt old. I tried to look inside and realized that my Lord would not leave me anymore and that my Lady would not move. I was worried, so I did my best to pleasure them. But my Lord did not seem to remember me anymore and my Lady did not seem to be able to care for me anymore.

Finally, my Lady left. They took her somewhere without telling me anything. I felt sad and waited for her to return. But more years passed and she did not return. Sometimes my Lord remembers who I am and tells me he misses her as well. But, immediately, he forgets about it and stops looking at me.

I feel so lonely, a sadness that breaks me from the inside. I feel cracked from the sadness, because I know that my Lady left to never return. I try to tell it but nobody listens to me. Sometimes there is joy inside me, but nothing can replace that absence, nothing can replace that smile and that kindness. The only thing that comforts me is that, sometimes, it rains. And as the drops fall from my head to my eyelids to the floor, I like to think they are my own tears.