A Wildflower Like Poppy

 

Prologue

There was a little wildflower named Poppy. Growing inside the garden with the other flowers, she has a green stem, not too long but not too short. Mr. Sun, who rises every morning, above her, notices her bright color and smiles as he likes how bright and curious Poppy is.

Little Poppy is always curious. She always observes her surrounding as she finds extraordinary things in the ordinary. With the significant companions she meets every day, Little Poppy creates a unique and wonderful space in the garden.

 

Story 1: Little Poppy’s Friend

 

One fine day, Little Poppy decided to look around for something new in the garden as she always does. She greeted Mr. Sun as she said, “What good and beautiful do we have for today?”

Mr. Sun answered, “Oh, Little Poppy, a beautiful morning! It is for you to find out.”

Little Poppy looked around the garden. She searched for something nice. She searched for something unique…something special. It was hard at first but she still looked around. She looked above…she looked below. Then, she saw a bright yellow-petaled flower, just a few sticks away from her. “Ah! What a nice color!” Poppy thought to herself.

She greeted the flower with her biggest and warmest smile:

“Hello there! I am Poppy. What’s your name?”

The flower shyly turned to Poppy, “Hi! My name’s Sunny.”

Poppy noticed the bright yellow color, like the hue of Mr. Sun, stemming from Sunny. She saw how long, leafy, and healthy Sunny’s stem is. She felt sad as she looked into her stem and leaves.

Sunny spoke to her, “I know, we may seem different from each other, from our looks to the way we speak, but I would like to be your friend, Little Poppy.”

Poppy mumbled, “Is it possible to be a friend to someone so…different?”

 

Mr. Sun heard Poppy. He smiled as he spoke to her in a deep voice,

“Definitely. Animals and insects do that too.”

Poppy was startled. “Oh, Mr. Sun, you always know what to say. Were you listening to me?” Mr. Sun replied a giggle as his rays became brighter.

 

Poppy pondered on what Mr. Sun said. She thought maybe Mr. Sun is right…maybe they can be friends. “Even Mr. Sun is different from me but we are friends, too.” She thought.

 

And so, Poppy looked back at Sunny. With her biggest and brightest smile, Little Poppy replied, “Let us be friends.”

 

END

 

Story 2: Little Poppy and the Big Red Bump

One morning, Little Poppy saw a big red bump on her head. As she looked to the other flowers, Poppy felt uncomfortable and sad.

One yellow flower said, “Hey, look at Poppy, there is something on her head!” The small white flower next to it giggled and pointed her leaf to Poppy’s head. Another flower was laughing as he overheard what the white flower said.

Little Poppy did not say anything. She shook her head in frustration while thinking about the little red bump on her head. She hated it as she attempted to pull it.

As the day went by, Little Poppy kept on looking up to Mr. Sun, as she musters the courage to ask, “Why do I have this big red bump on my head? I do not like it. The other flowers even laugh at me.”

Smiling brightly, Mr. Sun answered, “Oh, Little Poppy, you are beautiful, as you are. More beautiful as you can be.”

“But…but…this is not beautiful!” Poppy pointed to her head with much frustration.

Mr. Sun felt the sadness in the tone of Poppy. He told her: “I know everyone seems to laugh at it. I know it is different. Isn’t everyone different? If you look around, you will see…all the answers you want are there.”

Little Poppy sighed. She looked around as Mr. Sun told her. She saw some flowers have thorns while some have none. Some trees are small while others were tall. Little Poppy knew Mr. Sun was right.

Days passed and Little Poppy was not able to complain. She talked to the other flowers like nothing is on her head. The flowers did not notice too as they were busy talking about their differences.

One afternoon, Little Poppy felt a lining inside the bump. She was about to talk to Mr. Sun until the wind blew so hard. Little Poppy noticed the clouds.

She knew it is going to rain.

With eyes closed, she mumbled to herself: “This is just a bump. A big red bump. But, I am beautiful as I am. As I can be. As unique and different as I am.”

As the rain stopped, Little Poppy moved to shake off some droplets of rain. Mr. Sun, then, greeted her: “What a day, Beautiful Little Poppy!”

END

 

Story 3: Song of Happiness

It was a beautiful morning when Little Poppy woke up to Mr. Sun’s song. She knew it was Mr. Sun as he heard the voice above her.

“Oh, what a lovely day! I feel happy. I feel light. Choosing to smile, when everything’s alright. Smile and do not fret. You know, you are already blessed.”  Mr. Sun sang.

Little Poppy noticed the light that comes from Mr. Sun’s rays. It seems that Mr. Sun is happy. She is puzzled as she mumbled, “What is happiness? How do you find it? Do you look for it?”

Little Poppy paused and asked again, “Is it on the trees? Is it on the clouds? Is it with the other flowers? Is it near the grass? Is it below the leaves? Is it beside me?”

Mr. Sun heard what Little Poppy said. He answered, “Oh, happiness is a ball of light inside you. It is always with you. Sometimes it hides but, most of the time, you may feel and see it in the things you love the most.”

“It is within me? Inside me? In what I love? Hmm…” Little Poppy thought. She paused again for a moment and shouted, “I know! You love singing! That is happiness.”

Mr. Sun laughed and hummed to a tune. He knew Little Poppy would have known the answer as he observed her all the time. Little Poppy was as bright as her red opened bud.

He mentioned to Little Poppy, “Do everything that you love the most and it will repay you with tons of happiness in a row.”

Little Poppy smiled as he replied, “I will, Mr. Sun. So, I can sing as good as you…with happiness inside me.”

While Mr. Sun and Little Poppy were talking about happiness, Sunny listened while her petals played with the wind. Sunny thought to herself, “Oh, this is happiness.”

END

 

         

Story 4: Lady Rain and the Story of Time

            One gloomy morning, Lady Rain showed up instead of Mr. Sun. Unusual as it is for Little Poppy, she asked Lady Rain, “Hi there, Lady Rain. Where is Mr. Sun? Isn’t he always showing up in the morning?”

Lady Rain replied, “Oh dear! It is my time to replenish everyone and quench the thirst of some plants. Mr. Sun seems to be resting for a while. He should.”

But Mr. Sun usually has his time in the morning,” said Little Poppy.

With raindrops falling from her, Lady Rain replied, “Poppy, there is always, always, always a time for everything.”

“A time for everything?” Little Poppy seconded.

“Yes, a precious time for everything.” Lady Rain replied with a smile. “Look at your big red bump. Didn’t it open a little bit? Others can see how brightly red your petals would be.”

Little Poppy ecstatically replied, “Yes, yes, yes! It seems beautiful though it is not full yet. I am still waiting for the…the…the…time!…for it to open fully.”

Lady Rain explained, “Do you understand now? It is because of time. Time makes things bloom and beautiful.”

Little Poppy pondered, “Time. Hmm…Time.” She thought about waiting and complaining about the big red bump but everyone is in awe of her peeping bright red petals. “I should have known about Time earlier. Instead of complaining, I should have just patiently waited.”

Lady Rain, then, spoke, “I know, Poppy, you will know its beauty when the time comes. Mr. Sun will come back soon because…it is time for me to go.”

“Oh Lady Rain! Thanks for your time. I have to keep each moment as it will be gone in an instant. As there is a time for everything. Oh! Thank you.”

Little Poppy smiled back to Lady Rain as she pondered about time and let each raindrop fall onto her leaves.

 

END

 

 

Story 5: Mr. Sun and His Treasure

            Little Poppy was playing with Sunny when suddenly she noticed Mr. Sun was smiling and laughing too hard as he flashed too many rays on everything. It was too shiny and bright!

 

“Why do you laugh so hard, Mr. Sun? It is if you remember something? Did you?” Sunny asked.

Mr. Sun paused and smiled as he recollects a memory. He spoke, “Well, I was once like Little Poppy. I had a treasure like you. I was also playing like you.”

 

“A treasure? Me? Am I a treasure?” Sunny asked as she giggled with Little Poppy. As soon as the rays of Mr. Sun was lessened, Sunny and Little Poppy stopped and listened.

 

“Well, you see, when I rise in the morning, everything lightens and brightens up. I lift every creature with the rays that I have. But, as I go down and rest, you see my treasure coming up…a treasure that I keep together with my memories. My treasure is my old friend.”

Little Poppy was surprised, “It is…Mr. Moon? Mr. Moon…Mr. Moon is your friend?”

“Yes, dear Poppy, he is a good friend. I laughed and told stories to him. I gave some of my light to him.” Mr. Sun replied.

“Unlike you and Sunny, we cannot play with each other as often. We can only smile from a distance.”

Sunny asked, “Friends are like that? Do you think so?”

Mr. Sun smiled as he spoke, “Of course, dear Sunny, once a memory is shared by two, it is never lost. Everything is always kept in our memories.”

Sunny and Little Poppy smiled at each other as they listened to Mr. Sun. Once the story was over, they went back to play and laugh together as they did a while back.

Mr. Sun, from above, looks far beyond the skies. He smiled and thought of the wonderful memories with his treasure, Mr. Moon.

 

END

 

Story 6: Poppy’s Day

 

            Little Poppy woke up feeling a bit heavy. She stretched her stem and leaves as she greeted everyone. “What a morning! Something is unusual.” She thought to herself as she looked up to Mr. Sun.

“Hello there, Little Poppy.” Mr. Sun smiled.

“Is there something wrong with my head? I feel a bit…a bit…uncomfortable.” Little Poppy asked shyly as she scratches her head.

“It is perfect. It is perfectly fine, dear Poppy” Mr. Sun replied in awe.

Little Poppy was puzzled. She did not believe as she still feels heavy. She did not know how to describe how she feels. She knew one person she also trusts. It is Sunny. She then asked Sunny: “Hi Sunny! Is there something wrong with my head? I know Mr. Sun wants to say something but he cannot. What is it? Is there anything?”

Sunny turned to Poppy. In awe, as Mr. Sun felt, she replied: “Oh, Poppy! It is very pretty. YOU are very pretty.”

Little Poppy thought, “What could it be? I know Sunny is telling me something. I cannot understand. Maybe I can ask Lady Rain once she comes back. She sees everything too.”

 

And so, the wind blew and clouds turned gray. Poppy knew Lady Rain is coming. Poppy waited patiently as she braced herself for the strong wind. She felt something moving above her head. She noticed a bright red petal fall from above. Soon after, a droplet fell from the sky and Little Poppy caught it on her leaf. She noticed the silhouette of a beautiful red flower on the raindrop. She cannot believe it.

 

While pondering on what she saw, Lady Rain came and spoke, “You are Poppy. A beautiful and bright flower, Poppy.”

Little Poppy smiled and paused for a while. And with tears in her eyes, she replied, “I am Poppy. A bright red, beautiful, Poppy.”

 

END