The Flower and The Sun
written by: Grace McHale
A daisy stood beside the sea. It looked out across the water and met the sun.
“Good morning,” the daisy said.
‘Good morning,’ the sun said.
“I like your warm and shine,” said the daisy.
‘I like your colour,’ said the sun.
“You are so far away.”
‘I am close enough.’
“But I cannot reach you.”
‘It would not be good for you to.’
“Why?”
‘You would get hurt.’
“How?”
‘You would be burned. I wouldn’t do it on purpose, of course. It’s just that I’m very hot.’
“Oh?”
‘Mhmm. No one can come close to me let alone touch me without bursting into flames.’
“Oh! But that is sad…”
‘I am not sad. I am happy.’
“Why?”
‘Because I help things grow.’
“Aha, so you are the boss around here?”
The sun shook its head.
“Ah! But you know who it is then? You are smiling.”
‘I help things grow,’ it said.
“How?”
‘I’m hot! My warm makes life do!’
“Yes. Your shine makes me feel so good right now. I want more. I need more. I will come to you.”
‘No stop! You will die.’
“Oh no! We will always be apart. No! I must be nearer. I can pull myself out.”
‘No! You will die!’
“You are cruel.”
‘No. I am honest.’
“You are afraid.”
‘No, I am not afraid of anything.’
“I am afraid.”
‘Why?’
“Because I am alone.”
‘Haha! That is not true! The whole world is your friend.’
“I see nothing like that.”
‘Ah, it is not about seeing, my friend. It’s about feeling’
“Feeling what?”
‘Do you feel yourself?’
“Yes.” The daisy placed its leaves on its stem.
‘No, I mean can you feel yourself from within?’
“Huh?!”
‘Go ahead, try it.’
The daisy became very still and tried to feel itself from inside. After a moment, its eyes opened for the first time. It became aware of its own presence.
“Wonderful!” it cried.
‘Yes! It’s nice, isn’t it? Now do the same with your leaves.’
“Oh…”
‘Now, with your full attention, feel each petal around your face.’
“Hmm…”
The daisy quivered with happiness and contentment.
‘Now feel your face.’
“Ahhh…”
The daisy felt so calm and so good now. “Thank you,” it said.
‘For what?’
“For helping me feel better.”
‘Haha! You did that all on your own.”
The daisy beamed gratefully at the sun and it beamed happily back.
“Now I must go,” said the sun, “I will see you tomorrow.’
“Where are you going?”
‘To shine and warm up some other place. If I stuck around, the whole place would turn into a cinder!’
“You better go then,” said the daisy.
‘See you tomorrow.’
“Ok, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, my friend.”
- The Flower and The Sun - March 31, 2020
