Flowering Hope

A Story by Willys Watson

Flowering Hope

Though the unfolding event was barely noticed by the majority of people walking on the sidewalk, a small percentage of people, perhaps because they were socially, politically or philosophically attuned to the same kindred wavelength, took note and perceived it as a worthy, classically adaptable metaphor. Several equated it to a universal symbolic struggle to fight injustice and resist a political climate that seemed to only manipulate the majority through division and diversion because doing so empowered the elite. And a few others expanded the concept to include assaults on truth and acceptable morals.

But to the wild Dandelion plant willing it’s way through a thin crack on a sidewalk in an increasing wave of a concrete and asphalt jungle, it’s motives for doing so could hardly be classified as profound or esoteric. Conditioned by eons of successful evolution, the fledgling plant intuitively only wanted the same fair chance afforded to the other foliage on the planet. Although chastised as a weed by many humans, it’s purpose in living was validated when it was allowed to fulfill it’s mission: it’s own contribution to the increase of life sustaining oxygen into an atmosphere needing replenished. And equally important was the producing of flowers that enhanced the chance the pollenation process would continue to ensure edible foods for animals and humans.

An obscure poet, blessed with an instinctive sensibility towards the meanings within a meaning, expanded the boundaries of the metaphor to include a needed and very human cautionary tale of a potential, near future, catastrophe. In this so-called modern world where too often immoral and unchecked greed, aided to a lessor degree by both ignorance and indifference from the majority towards the planet itself, he believed we were witnessing the rapid destruction of our own once cherished environment. And to the poet the damningly ironic aspect of the possible outcome was that the handful of hoarders of obscene wealth, those blinded by greed, many who are the major contributors of the pollution, were likely guaranteeing that their own future generations of heirs will inherit nothing of value in a wasteland that was once a healthy, thriving, vibrate orb.

Still, the obscure poet did manage to retain a glimmer of hope from his musings. The little Dandelion was symbolically proclaiming to the world, without realizing the glorious significance of it’s determination, that it was not giving in, that it intended to live even if that meant resisting and fighting back against a seemingly preordained fate. And perhaps on some celestial level, the poet silently prayed, the Dandelion did understand that all life owes it’s life to life giving nature.

© 2021 Willys Watson

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JayG

• Though the unfolding event was barely noticed by the majority of passerby a small percentage of people, perhaps because they were socially, politically or philosophically attuned to the same kindred wavelength, took note and perceived it as a worthy, classically adaptable metaphor.

A convoluted run-on sentence isn't the best way to attract a reader’s attention. It’s always best not to try to impress by being “literary.”

But if you’re going to do that, at least get your tense and punctuation right. “Majority” is plural but passerby is singular. And of course you left out the period after “passerby,” where you intended a new sentence to begin.

Did you even bother to edit? This is really sloppy work.

That aside, what can this mean to the reader? “The unfolding event?” What’s an unfolding event? People unfold things? It’s not what you meant, but it is what you said, and since you provide no context, the only one who knows what you’re talking about is you.

Will it become clear later? No, because who goes on if what they’re reading makes no sense? There can be no second, first-impression.

If you’re going to go to the trouble of writing the article, and hope to make it meaningful to the reader, you need to fulfill your end of the implied contract between reader and writer: They give you of their time, and you make the reading worth that time.