Marigold: A Story Untold

Mid-October

The sun was ablaze,

And I couldn’t hide that look on my face

As you turned the corner,

When you turned the page.

In the middle of the road

I ran out alone

To try and see if I could grab ahold

Of you;

But in the crowd, you were hidden.

In the crowd, you had long been gone.

It was a moment of passion

Proceeded by action,

Then freedom when deciding what was next.

I was all alone

When I saw a marigold:

It was beautiful, and full, and bold

Floating by in the breeze’s hold.

I leapt from the street to try and catch it.

It blew higher and higher,

And so,

I leapt higher and higher;

Although not really quite as high

As the marigold did fly.

As it blew away

I wondered why

Did all the best things pass me by,

The loveliest things,

I wondered why.

I walked for some time,

Surrounded by people

But alone with my mind,

I wanted to break down

I wanted to cry.

It was right then,

It was to my surprise,

My plans of sorrow had gone awry.

My lonesome loneliness had met its demise-

There you were! With a marigold by your side.

I almost jumped for joy-

But didn’t-

Then you noticed me and began to smile.

I stood still,

Shocked and unsure

At how to respond,

Thinking, “Should I ask why?”

“Should I be mad?”

“Or should I be kind?”

“Oh, how to know what to do next in this time?!”

I closed my eyes for a second,

Then felt you by my side.

I opened my eyes

And you were gone, nowhere in sight!

It was my imagination playing with me the whole time.

Then, feeling strange

And determined to find

The estranged love

That I couldn’t, just wouldn’t

Lose over a fight-

I picked up my left foot

Then I picked up my right,

And before I knew it,

I began to run

At the speed of light!

Turning each corner,

Not a doubt in my mind

Could stop me from searching

And trying to find

You.

I ran and ran

And almost gave into my mind,

I had passed many buildings

But was still caught trying to find

You.

It was the sole thought of the marigold

That kept my hope alive

For never in my life

Did I see a marigold flying by,

Until in that time

When you had left my sight.

I took it as hope, and positivity, and a cry

Of good luck

And I did not give up, no I didn’t even try.

I ended up back on the street

Where the marigold did fly,

And to my disbelief,

I found it fallen on the sidewalk,

Ignored by every passerby.

I slowly approached it,

Tired from the run,

I reached down

And picked it up

And lifted it to my nose.

As I took a deep breath,

I smelled it entirely,

And discovered

It was not what I had

Been expecting to find.

While so beautiful on the outside,

Its smell was strange

And musky

And pungent

And I quickly exhaled it away.

I looked at it some seconds,

Then accepted it that way-

For nothing can be perfect

It was simply created that way.

So, I pushed down my pride and accepted it anyway.

The imagination can be wonderful,

But it can also be a fire

When it stems from desire

And creates a perfect scenario

That can never be acquired,

Though often aspired.

It can lead selfishly to destruction

When your imagination feels better

Than whatever really happened, yes, whatever.

So, we need to step back

And we need to be clever,

And humble ourselves,

For we need to know better

Than to reject something beautiful

Because it wasn’t pleasing as ever.

And now that I found

That marigold, I

Have realized there is much,

Oh, much more to life

Than me, myself, and I.

I didn’t find you,

Though I’m pretty sure

If I recognized this before

You wouldn’t have left

And turned that corner.