17 November 2013
Amis de Fleurs
Peony, Rose, Lily and Tulip lived together in a little flower bed in
downtown Paris. Atop their window sill they could view the city and
watch the people as they took pictures of the Eiffel Tower.
Each floral friend was a soft pink. This brought them together but
their shared fondness in their romantic city made them the greatest
of friends. Each new day brought happy memories of the people in this
world. They saw children playing and couples shopping. They loved
their little view of Paris.
One day as Peony, Rose, Lily and Tulip were gazing at the pink and
orange sunset a slight gust of wind came through. It was so light, so
soft, so warm, the friends barely knew it was there! It tickled their
petals and wrapped them in delightful bliss. Peony, with her big
fluffy petals then felt that the gust was more than just a gust. She
felt its words on her petals.
“Joie de vivre... joie de vivre...” whispered the little
gust of wind onto the petals of the friends. As each flower felt the
words, a new life came through their souls.
“The joy of living! That's what we have! That is why we are here!”
exclaimed Tulip! The friends realized their purpose at that moment.
It is to joyfully and gleefully live! They were planted to show a
love of life by their person. They are in view of other people to
bring a lovely sight of beauty and they get to look out on Paris and
be pleased by life around them. Joie de vivre is for them and it is
for all, whispered into ears by warm little bursts of wind.
18 November 2013
Rosemarie and Ezra 1941
Rosemarie and Ezra were the
best of friends. The children were both six but Ezra always won
arguments because he was one day older than Rosemarie. She often let
that pass because Ezra was just as adventurous as she was. They liked
to play in the woods behind their town, oblivious of the world around
them.
In the woods they found a stoic tree that was as old as days. The
children noticed the tree's base formed a perfect little cubbyhole,
completely hidden from all but the most curious eyes to see. There
they imagined valiantly fighting dragons, slaying beasts in mystical
lands, soaring through the clouds and stars with fairies and
phoenixes. Each day they would meet at the tree after breakfast and
play until the sun nearly fell beyond the treeline.
One morning Rosemarie sat inside the tree and began to map out their
brave travels through fantastical lands and times. Suddenly Ezra
appeared, distraught, unwilling to play games and have adventures.
Rosemarie was sad that her friend was so upset.
“Ezzy, why are you crying? We have great travels today and brave
soldiers do not cry?” Rosemarie asked trying to encourage Ezra to
cheer up.
“The police came today. They were so scary. One big man yelled at
Mama and slapped Papa. They begged the police to please let them keep
the shop open but they told us we must close the shop. Mama said it
was because of our stars but I still don't understand. Why do these
police hate us so much. Mama said it was just the way it had to be”
explained Ezra to his friend.
Rosemarie knew her and Ezra were different but she didn't know why.
She knew he had dark, curly hair and dark eyes and wore a big yellow
star on all his clothes and she had long blonde hair and blue eyes.
She asked Mutti and Vati why Ezra wore the star and they said it was
because der Fuhrer declared them to be the reason the German people
had so many hard days in the years past. Ezra was a Jew and Mutti
told her she could not play with him anymore. For Rosemarie this
could not happen. She loved Ezra and maybe one day they could marry,
if Vati would let her. She could not believe his kind family had
caused any harm to the Germans and decided to play with him in secret
since no one knew of their cubbyhole tree.
“Don't cry Ezzy. Here we are safe. Here we can hide from the
police and play games.” The children felt happy in their tree and
began to forget the changes happening in their town. Eventually
things got worse for Ezra. His family was put on rations. They lost
everything and were put behind a great wall, separated from the rest
of their town. He secretly found a hole in the wall and would sneak
each day to meet Rosemarie. She would bring him food and slowly their
adventures turned into dreaming. They would dream of new places to
live, places to escape from the disturbance going on around them.
As winter passed it grew harder
and harder for the children to play but the tree became their only
haven. Deep in the woods they couldn't hear shouting. They couldn't
hear the tap tap tap
of guns. They couldn't hear the planes or the voice of der Fuhrer
over the radio. They could only hear each other as they lay on the
cold earth wrapped in blankets, dreaming of a better day.
For Rosemarie those days were happening. She only knew of the guns
and the screaming because Ezra told her so. She knew when Vati told
her that the Jews were lying and nothing bad was happening that was
the real untruth. All she could do was hold her friend and tell him
she would never believe what was being said about his family.
One horrible day, Ezra was sneaking out of his town. This was
becoming increasingly more difficult due to extra policing of his
town but he was little and the new rules made him even smaller. He
was almost out when he heard more screaming and shouting. People were
moving so fast. Police were yelling and hitting, telling the
townspeople to get on the trains. The whole town. All of them were
loaded onto the carts. Mama had told him once if he could escape the
police to run and never look back. Ezra saw Mama holding Sissy and
walking with Papa. They locked eyes. He felt her love flow through
his body and with her teary gaze she told him to run. She knew he had
a place to hide in the woods with Rosemarie. She knew he would be
safe. He knew he would never see Mama, Papa and Sissy again.
“They are gone. They took them. They took Mama, Papa and Sissy. I
am alone Rosie. I can't go back. You are all I have.”
That day it snowed the hardest it had ever snowed in the lives of
Rosemarie and Ezra. They curled together in their blanket and wept.
Wept for the loss of innocence in the world they knew. Wept for Mama,
Papa and Sissy. Just wept together as friends will do. That day they
fell asleep, entwined in each others arms, bitten by frost and
forever immortalized in the cubbyhole, protecting their innocence and
adventures. Forever children, slaying dragons and soaring through the
stars, never in pain again.
19 November 2013
The Soldiers, The Queen and The Beasts
The day was hot and the
glare from the sun almost blinding. The queen needed food and the
soldiers needed to retrieve the best of the best. The smell of
garbage was wafting at the enormous glass wall but today it wasn't
the garbage the soldiers wanted. The furry beasts food was sitting
near their home and had all the nutrients the queen would need to
feed her growing belly full of new recruits.
The mission was set. They needed
to bypass the furry beast and keep away from the less hairy, even
larger beasts. The larger ones liked to stomp them and the furry ones
liked to eat them. It was a daring mission but too close to pass up.
The soldiers first challenge was
to scale the tall cement wall. They had to be quick as the less hairy
beasts liked to move the glass wall at their will. Up the wall the
scampered. Success! Everyone made it up the wall. Their next
challenge was to go unseen to the glass wall. The soldiers kept rank
tight to the large, shady bush by the glass wall. Quickly they ran
along the bush and again success! Past the wall they ran with the
hairy beasts food in sight.
BANG!!!!!!
The
wall slammed shut! One soldier was lost in the door the rest fell
back and regathered at their home. The rest moved forward. They were
safe. All the beasts were outside. One behind the other they climbed
the wall containing the food they needed. Each soldier grabbed a
piece as a few others stayed back to be lookouts. One by one they
came down and headed towards the glass wall.
Purrrr....
Purrrr
“Smaller hairy beast! Watch your
backs! Close ranks and head home! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Go! Go! Go!”
shouted the look outs. Down the wall they scrambled as the hunter
beast sat waving it's long tail waiting to attack. Suddenly the
glass wall opened just in time. The soldiers rushed the opening as
the smaller or the hairy beasts was scared off by the less hairy
beasts. Out the opening, past the bush, down the cement wall and
home!
Success! The queen shall eat and
the soldiers can plan for the next mission for more food. Hidden in
the large, safe bush from all the beasts, they strategized how to get
to the garbage next. But for now they rest. The next mission will be
much harder.
*These stories are mine and mine alone. You are welcome to read them and share them with my name attached to them but you are not welcome to take these stories without permission. If you do you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Be kind and give me credit. That is all I ask.*
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