The park bench
was deserted as I sat down to read
Beneath the
long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.
Disillusioned
by life with good reason to frown,
For the world
was intent on dragging me down.
And if that
weren't enough to ruin my day,
A young boy
out of breath approached me, all tired from play
He stood right
before me with his head tilted down
And said with
great excitement, "Look what I found!"
In his hand
was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,
With its petals
all worn - not enough rain, or too little light.
Wanting him
to take his dead flower and go off to play,
I faked a small smile and then shifted away.
But instead
of retreating he sat next to my side
And placed
the flower to his nose
And declared
with overacted surprise,
It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too.
That's why
I picked it; here, it's for you."
The weed before
me was dying or dead. Not vibrant
of colors: orange, yellow or red. But I knew
I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached
for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need." but instead
of him placing the flower in my hand, He held it
mid-air without reason or plan. It was then
that I noticed for the very first time That weed-toting
boy could not see: he was blind. I heard my
voice quiver; tears shone in the sun As I thanked
him for picking the very best one. You're welcome,"
he smiled, and then ran off to play, Unaware of
the impact he'd had on my day.
I sat there
and wondered how he managed to see A self-pitying
woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he
know of my self-indulged plight? Perhaps from
his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight. Through the
eyes of a blind child, at last I could see The problem
was not with the world; the problem was me. And for all
of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to
see the beauty in life, And appreciate every second that's mine. And then I
held that wilted flower up to my nose And breathed
in the fragrance of a beautiful rose And smiled
as I watched that young boy, Another weed in his hand, About to change
the life of an unsuspecting old man.
--Cheryl Costello Forshey
"I CAN
SEE, AND THAT IS WHY I CAN BE SO HAPPY IN WHAT YOU CALL THE DARK, BUT
WHICH TO ME IS GOLDEN. I CAN SEE A GOD-MADE WORLD, NOT A MAN-MADE WORLD" --Hellen
Keller
If this
page has inspired you, or touched you in anyway or if you
feel that it can brighten up someone else's day, please
forward it.
Music playing is "THE
ROSE" by "LEEANN
RIMES"
Click on
her pic to view her website
