Sparkling shards… tiny, tiny shards of a shattered, fractured dream blink – wink – wink – wink – blink at me, glowing fireflies perched on the very utmost – extremely furthermost – tip of green-leaved branches of possibilities… Twinkling – twirling – tintinnabulating crystal bells serenade my sighing heart – Take heart! – they hymn-hum, clinking – tinkling – glittering clarion calls that make my soul gleam, glow and glimmer, send courage blazing through the murk. In a lightless corner of my despair, a nub of candle fizzles – frizzles – frazzles, bursts into a flickering flame that sways, steadies, stays still, emitting the scent of jasmine and freesia: shards metamorphose into hope.