PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Dedication: to the soul of my Mother. I know I should have written this much earlier but as a distracted mind my responses are often lagging.

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Once upon a time there was a pretty wild flower standing there among her little sisters between the rocks in a valley there in the midst of the wilderness.

The intelligent flower knew by her natural intelligence that she must store the water in her roots and consume it sparely so that she may extend her life as long as possible in this hostile environment. She preached her wisdom to her little sisters.

Not too far from there, there was a tent situated on the edge of the valley bank.

In that tent a 5 years old child, called Rashid, meaning the mature, lives.

Rashid made a friendship with the flowers. So he made it a commitment to visit the flowers twice a day, one quick visit early morning, after he washes his face and kisses his sick mother on her forehead, the second is in the afternoon after he finishes work. Yes, the little boy works and he enjoys working with his father. Rashid is a lovely boy, not very happy but he is a beloved boy. He didn't feel happy to find himself in a tent with a single parent. His mother is always lying there on her bed out of sickness. But she is also very good, she never whimper. She knows how to hold the pain. She keeps looking tenderly to her baby and his father as the come and go.    

Early morning, after attending to his mother and his flowers, Rashid goes to let the goats and sheep out. He calls them and they simply follow the cute little shepherd

He and his father take the herd in a tour looking for something to feed the hungry flock and meanwhile they also look for dry trees branches to take to Rashid's aunt since she is the one who cooks for and take care of them on behalf of her ill sister.

When Rashid gets tired of walking he doesn't show it but his father can easily notice that. He doesn't confront him but he asks him: how about a donkey ride?

And before Rashid gives an answer, he lifts him and put him on top of the donkey's back to enjoy a very pleasant rhythmic ride.

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{{ I feel so tired. I Can't carry on! May be tomorrow or after tomorrow I will be able to continue. I am sorry to stop but believe me I have something to be written}}

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Continuation:

At the end of their tour, in the afternoon, as they approach the tent, the little boy runs to his mother to sit and chat with her starting by the usual question: "how do you feel today Mom" in order to receive the usual comforting answer: " I am fine … alright … don't you worry Baby". Then he goes on telling her, enthusiastically, what they have done in their tour and what they have encountered while his mother keeps looking at him eagerly with a smile spreading all over her pale face.

When he runs out of events to report, he gets very quiet and listens to his mother saying her never ending prayers until he , out of exhaustion, falls into sleep.

After a nap of one hour or so, he gets up heading towards his pretty friends, the wild flowers.

He sits there so near to them and speaks to them. He believes they hear and understand him and they also reply to him by dissipating more fragrance.

Stimulated by the magical moment and the charming environment, he often recites poetic verses, he heard from the elderly, while staring at the mysterious components of the desert: the mountains standing tall with dignity, the rough desert trees scattered here and there apart from each other as if trying to provide shade and rest areas for tired shepherds, the soft sand heights, nicely formed by the passing-by winds, and the birds flying in the air looking, maybe, for food and water, a new nest to reside in, or searching for something they have missed.    

He concludes his meditation session by observing the sun pouring it's golden glow across the horizon while going down behind the mountains. Then hurriedly, before the darkness take over the space, he goes to the neighborhood to play with the kids until the time he spots his father heading towards the Chief's tent when he follows him to sit there in that grand tent, at the end of the row, listening to the issues the elderly discuss, the old tales they narrate and the poems they recite (This was the only academy in the desert). But before the end of the intellectual meeting, he falls into sleep to find himself next day back in his sweet tent where he gets up to repeat the same scheme again and again.

Seasons made a move in their eternal circular trip and there was a summer and made another move and there came an autumn.

When Rashid came to enjoy socializing with his friendly flowers, he noticed that they don't look as fresh as before. Their Petals and Sepals seem to be losing their shine! As a matter of fact, the lovely flowers looked to him now so similar to the face of his ill mother.

He spent the meditation session thinking of how he can bring vigor back to the flowers.

The little boy spent long time thinking. He missed the sun set but he noticed the arrival of the night so he rushed back to the neighborhood.

In the middle of the way he saw a number of people sitting next to his tent! Unusual! He wondered if his father has invited them for coffee or meal. The answer came to him sooner than he thinks when a boy came running towards him saying loudly: don't you know? Your mother died.

He refused to accept the bad news but he felt terror creeping all over his skinny body! So, he kept walking in a slow pace towards the tent to see his mother covered with a white cloth … laid on a ladder-like wooden thing that he had seen before being used to transport a dead neighbor to his final destination!

He then faced the unpleasant reality and collapsed near the tent door letting his eyes generously shed warm tears that fell along those thin cheeks to surround that cute chin and then obey the gravity down to earth.

He kept on weeping and what else can a little child in such an expected situation do?

Knowing that his father is busy arranging the funeral, the tribe Chief came to comfort Rashid. He sat beside him, put his hand on the boy's right shoulder and said: Rashid, don't think that when people die they vanish. No. They stay alive. And one day, we will meet with them and we all will share a happy life.

The little boy didn't understand the metaphysical meaning of the Chief words. He thought he meant that his mother will come back to share them their life again. He had doubts in his heart. He felt that the Chief was trying only to ease his pain.

The next day, Rashid woke up early as usual but neither he nor his father felt like going out for work that day. So little Rashid stayed on his bed and put his pillow over his face trying not to face the day light. Yet he failed to sleep.

He then got up , thinking if he goes to see his flowers and speak to them about his grieve, he might feel better.

And so he went there carrying a bucket of water to water them, but when he got there they weren't there!

They also have gone away! They have faded, left their branches and gone away! Died! They needed no burial; they just simply died standing.

To get over his sadness, he thought, he must keep himself busy. For this reason he used to go to the neighbors tents and to his aunt's in the afternoons looking for some useful work to fill his day. Of course if he finds some kids willing to play he wouldn't mind a game. But when he finds neither this nor that, he used to wander here and there until the time of the gathering in the Chief's tent.

Those were the little activities of the little boy, every day.

Meanwhile, the seasons were going on in their eternal motion, and there came a spring again.

And in one afternoon, little Rashid happened to be taking a neighbor sheep down to the valley looking for grass, after a rainy season, when an unexpected vista caught his eyes. He stood amazed gazing with all the power in his mind and his eyes. His flowers bloomed again…. There, they are rising again. Overwhelmed by the surprise, the boy ran towards his flowers screaming: you came back … you came back to me.

In this, he saw a fulfillment of the Chief's prophecy and to his little mind that meant that his mother will come back again.

That night, when the little boy slept, he dreamt. In his dream, he saw his mother sitting next to him, there, besides the wild flowers.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z5WjjndOaM