Wednesday, March 19, 2008

An Easter Tale

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The prompt for this weeks Writers Island is Deja vu. This is probably not exactly what they had in mind, but I offer it to you anyway!
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It was a beautiful little plant. I’d had it for years. It sat right in the middle of my rockery surrounded by other pretty plants, but there was something special about this one. Somehow it shone; it reflected the summer sun and almost seemed to smile. All around, the other plants seemed to look up to it! Except one or two which seemed determined to smother it and strangle its roots.

Winter arrived and one by one the plants withered and went into hibernation. The bright colours of yesterday faded away to be replaced by sparkling silver frost and a coat of pure white snow. Beneath the frozen soil some would survive and others would simply fade away.

The first days of spring warmed the earth and woke my plants from their slumbers. They pushed their way through the surface and stretched their leaves toward the sky. I was so looking forward to welcoming my favourite plant to a new year, but it was nowhere to be seen. The plants that had tried to kill it last year seemed to have succeeded. They stood taller than ever as if trying to tell the world that they now ruled the garden.

It was Good Friday and I was getting the garden ready for outdoor days to come. My thoughts turned to my little plant. I carefully dug into the soil hoping to see some sign of life, but all I found was a mass of rotting roots where my plant had once grown.

Suddenly my daughter appeared in tears. Her precious pet hamster had died. At first she was inconsolable, but after a while she composed herself and asked if we could bury it among the flowers near her swing. She made a small wooden cross from a couple of sicks and laid her pet to rest.

On Easter Day my daughter was excitedly searching in the garden for the chocolate eggs I’d hidden. She suddenly rushed into the house then dragged me outside. ‘Come quickly’ she said. She pointed toward the flower bed, and there beside the wooden cross, my little plant stood in full bloom with two leaves outstretched toward us.

‘It’s a miracle Daddy’ said my daughter. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.



'Earth's saddest day and gladdest day were just three days apart!'- Susan Coolidge
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May I wish you a happy Easter
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39 comments:

  1. The Little Plant that could. A very nice story. Happy Easter to you too!

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  2. happy easter to you too, keith..

    a story full of hope...:)

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  3. Hope and faith produce miracle. Happy Easter to you too.

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  4. such a beautiful tale for Easter, hope you have a wonderful one, Keith.

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  5. oh, how lovely is this! a nice, little Easter tale indeed.

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  6. this is wonderful! A sad story that ends with full of hope...beautifully written, as always Keith!
    Thank you, and Happy Easter to you:)

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  7. This really was beautiful. Though predictable, the ending still got to me.

    Thank you, and Happy Easter, yourself!

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  8. From you I always expect a well-written story, and you never disappoint. I liked this, although I am somewhat allergic to miracles...

    Have a happy Easter!

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  9. Oh I so love this Keith!

    I like the subtle message of triumph in between the lines and the miracle that arise from the lost of 2 revered creatures combined to spring into a new sign of life.

    I remember a line from Walt Disney's animated movie "Mulan" the words from her father on her return: "The flower that blooms from adversitiy is the most beautiful flower." or something like that. I think those beautiful words apply to this piece.

    Have a blessed lenten season and Happy Easter!

    I wish you well.

    ~ Jeques

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  10. You get it every time Keith - beautiful! Happy Easter, hope you blow the froth off an ale or two ;)

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  11. What a nice story. Makes me want to garden. I love seeing the flowers begin to pop up as the children find their eggs.

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  12. What a lovely, touching story. Happy Easter to you too! Glad I stopped by.

    www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

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  13. That is heartwarming Keith... wonderful post! ;)

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  14. That was pretty. Thankyou

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  15. I just love this sweet story! Perfect Easter post with renewal just around the corner.Quite the metaphor for life! Thank-you for sharing it!

    Hugs Sherrie

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  16. Hope blooming in and vanquishing the pain of a dry day, this was beautiful
    And Happy Easter.

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  17. That is a great post. It renews faith.

    watered down

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  18. HA! You're lucky the damn hamster wasn't standing there. A whole new thing for a whole new millennium.

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  19. Lovely story! Hope you have a happy Easter!

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  20. Keith! Your moving little stories bring so much hope and beauty into my ordinary little days.
    This was a perfect Easter treat. Happy Easter my friend. ♥

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  21. very nice take on the prompts and Easter. I loved the dying on Good Friday and being re-born on Easter. Happy Easter to you also.

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  22. an unexpected delight... this was really good keith....

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  23. A true Easter tale. Very nice! Happy Easter!

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  24. It is somewhat soothing to the heart mind and soul to visit here.

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  25. ` Too late to speak with Hamster Jesus now, I guess....

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  26. i see minotour, it is just like a demon version of easter bunny. i mean donnie darko.

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  27. It warms my heart. I do believe in miracles...but they don't always come where we think they will, do they.

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  28. What a nice story! Thanks for sharing with us. :)

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  29. A lovely story. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

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  30. Keith, a very lovely story of love.

    toujous,lanie-bd

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  31. A lovely, touching story, Keith. Happy Easter to you and yours!

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  32. The perfect post for today...one of hope and beauty...thank you.

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  33. Great post!

    My DEJA VU piece didn't link to Easter. Wish I had!

    http://nickersandinkblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/familiar-way-rhyme-opaque-on-memorys.html

    Blessings to you. He is risen indeed!

    Linda
    Nickers and Ink

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  34. What an endearing story! I really enjoyed reading this ... Happy Easter to you too Keith :)

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  35. there's a childlike aura in this story. full of hope and innocence :-)

    happy easter

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  36. Well, I know what to do . . .cry! What a beautiful hopeful story. Thank you.

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  37. ...so full of life and deep with meaning... a thousand thoughts spin round and round... in order to live one must die.. sorta thing which you have reflected so well...

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