I walk along the quiet beach,
Soft, white sand beneath my toes.
My mind is empty, void of thought
Except of seashells on the ground.

I kneel down to pick one up,
Then continue on my way
Tracing tiny patterns mindlessly
In the twisted, spiraled shell.

Curious, I hold it to my ear
And hear the ocean whisper
My thoughts echoed perfectly–
Shallow, empty thoughts of nothing.

At once, I take a look inside
The seashell in my hand.
Surprised when I find nothing more
Than an empty void of space.

Suddenly, my heart awakens
And betrays my darkest fears.
The hate and hurt that I once hid
Gave way to nothingness.

I’d tried and tried my hardest
To cover up the heartbreak,
I put on a show for everyone
And even fooled myself.

But in the process, I lost something
That meant so much to me.
I traded pain for emptiness
And faked a hollow smile.

One deep breath, then take a look
At the shell clenched in my hand
Where once there lived an animal,
And where once I kept my heart.

I toss the shell into the sea,
Inside me something shatters;
The shell that hid my broken heart
Has freed it once again.