Fountain of the Four Rivers

A creative writing assignment I was given when I studied in Rome; to find a piece of artwork & create a story about it. I decided to become the fountain, bring it to life, & share it's struggles.

I sit here, in the same spot everyday hoping that something will change.

Stuck in a continuous cycle of living everyday in the comfort of the one before.

I never alter a thing, I never change or grow.

I am comfortable, yet my heart yearns for something more.

My purpose is important.

I am here and people enjoy my presence, they awe at my beauty and often times sit for hours just gazing at my many qualities.

These are the moments when I feel whole, when others come and provide that feeling for me.

But there are many more moments where I am empty, because people come and go.

Oh and when they go I feel cold and empty.

No one ever hears me when I speak to them because they don’t care about what I think or feel or my desires to be much more than a pretty thing to look at.

No they simply care about what they get out of me, what they want from me, what I can do for them.

I won’t generalize too much though, because very rarely someone does come and truly sees me.

These people are my favorite.

They look at me in admiration, yes, but they also see through me, through my exterior.

I can’t emphasize enough how much I want to be more than what I am, but no one believes in me.

Not even my friends that surround me, often I feel that if they could get up and leave me, they would.

They are physically there but their minds and hearts have left my presence far long ago.

Because they gave up.

They gave into the idea that they were just something to look at…a piece of marble that serves one purpose and that is to please others.

I’m the only one left here and even though I am lonely, even though I feel myself drifting further and further away from myself, I stay strong.

I am just a fountain at first glance.

You can see my perfectly sculpted body, the animals and symbols that surround me giving the tour guides something to talk about.

You can see my strength because if you look close enough, my facial expression is all that screams.

You can see the water spouting out of the fish’s mouth and the beautiful way it lies at the bottom of the pool, turquoise in color.

I see those things and I know those things to be beautiful.

But I also know that I am much more than that.

I know that the people admiring me, boasting only about those limited but amazing qualities, are correct.

But you see, they limit me.

They are a constant reminder of why I am the only one left standing of the Four River Gods, because I believe in myself.

I am beautiful, I am strong, I am nice to look at and admire, but I am also smart, courageous, sincere, and ever changing.

Maybe one day other people will see it and I won’t be trapped here any longer.

Because I grow tired of these long days of minuscule meaning and I yearn for the day I can jump off of this ledge and be who I am destined to be. 

Author's Note

Any feedback is helpful (: