Streamside
I sat by a stream the other day, watching a Weeping Willow grow on the other side of the bank. For just a moment, I lived in a world of my own. Society couldn’t reach me there, only the warm wind rustling through the forest of cattails and the tall blades of grass. A garden of colors surrounded me: red Lobelia, purple Pickerelweed, white Water Lilies. In the language of flowers, Lobelias symbolize community. Pickerelweeds symbolize a good heart. Water Lilies symbolize resurrection. Natural beauty encompasses us, and yet, when I returned to humankind, I saw children playing on artificial grass in their yards, imitation plants decorating their homes. Why can’t we just sit back and enjoy the flowers? Grow them with our own hands, nurture them, and watch them flourish? The French Hydrangea in someone’s yard, once a bubble of pastel petals, has its stalks cut. Its limbs are strewn across the yard, only capable of decomposition. With the changing seasons, people thrive; new factories and innovations delight every generation. The world goes on, but where will all the newborn flowers go?
The imagery in this is really spectacular!
ReplyDeleteWow, I want to live by that stream! It sounds so picturesque. The last few lines make me think this is a piece that's concerned about nature, but also people. In the same way the question is about newborn flowers, I also read it about the next generation of children that won't know them. Very thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteI love the imagery that you created in this work entitled" Streamside 'as you describe "the warm wind rustling through the cattails and the tall blades of grass". As we are currently dealing with a heat wave I enjoyed being transported to the edge of a stream and taking in the imagery. I also like the way in which you explained the meaning of Plants such as when you describe the water lilies as a symbol of resurrection. I also found your writing as a source of inspiration as you challenge the reader to think about conserving the environment for future generations.
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