Ranjana on Towards Freedom

Rosalind and the Purple Tulip

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:37:01 -0800

Throughout this story, click on the play button to hear each song.

In a small town, not very far away, there lived a girl named Rosalind. She loved the spring with its blossoms, chirping birds, and wonderful rain that washes away the dirty snow and waters the plants. Rosalind played outside with her older brother Terrance. The two of them loved looking after the plants in their special garden in the backyard. In the springtime bright tulips and yellow daffodils bloomed. As always their little garden was glowing with colour. Yet this spring was different …

Lu-la, Lu-la, Lu-lay
Come gather round me today
I have a story to say
Lu-La, Lu-la, Lu-lay.

Rosalind and Terrance, as usual, turned the soil of their garden and checked their plants daily to see which of them were blooming or were about to bloom. One day, Rosalind noticed a purple tulip with a white stripe on one of its petals.

“Oh, Terrance! Come see!” Rosalind called out. “Look at this tulip - I’ve never seen one like it!”

Terrance rushed over to look, but seemed disappointed.

“This purple tulip isn’t a pure colour like the others. It doesn’t really fit in our garden.”

“Terrance, I think it is beautiful. This will be my special tulip,” Rosalind claimed.

Everyday Rosalind took extra care of the purple tulip. She would talk with it, play games near it, and even gently stroke the petals. As the days passed, the tulip’s colour became brighter and it grew very straight, taller than the others. Even Rosalind’s mother and father said the tulip looked strong.

Rosalind told them the tulip was her best friend. She told Terrance that she was sure the tulip listened when she spoke. One day she even thought the tulip had spoken, but she wasn’t sure - it might have been the wind.

Well, one warm spring day, the family decided to make their first trip of the year to their cottage. Rosalind chattered happily to the purple tulip about this trip, telling it that she would be back in two days.

At the cottage Rosalind and Terrance played amongst the trees. Two days passed quickly and the children begged their parents to stay longer. Then they continued their play: hiding, climbing and running!

Back at their home the purple tulip waited for Rosalind’s return. After three days it began to droop just a little. By the fifth day the purple tulip’s petals had lost some of their luster and it began to wilt. Sadly it sang out for its friend,

Lu-la, Lu-la, Lu-lay
Rosalind come out to play
Love will show you the way
Lu-La, Lu-la, Lu-lay.

On the fifth day at the cottage, Rosalind suddenly remembered her friend, the purple tulip. She had told it she would only be gone two days. Oh, how she longed to see it now. She ran to her parents. “Please, please may we go back today? I have to see the purple tulip. I think it is missing me!” she cried.

Her mother told her it was too late to return that day but they would return early the next morning. Rosalind couldn’t sleep that night, thinking only of the purple tulip. She was the first to be ready to leave the next morning.

When they finally arrived back home, Rosalind burst into the backyard and ran to the garden. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she saw her friend drooping limply.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you for longer than I had said. Please forgive me and be well,” she wished.

Rosalind sat like a stone by the purple tulip for a very long time until she heard a faint song,

Lu-la, lu-la, lu-lay
Rosalind come now, be gay
Love has shown us the way
Lu-la, lu-la, lu-lay.

She looked at the tulip and smiled. Its stem had straightened!

“I’m so happy to have a friend like you Purple Tulip,” Rosalind cooed softly.

The two special friends stayed together - Rosalind beaming and the purple tulip’s petals glowing again …

Ode to Pericles

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:37:00 -0800

A poem about our first child!

Now, little Pericles
Won’t you come a bit closer, please?

And whisper softly in our ear
Those sweet phrases we long to hear

“Baby”, " Hi", and “Where are you?”
Surely that’s not all you can do!

Oh yes, “Hi ho, Hi ho”
As you rightly know

Is our very favorite.
We listen, we moan, we savour it

Whenever you bless us with that tune
Sadly we wonder why you stop so soon.

But we know your wishes are supreme
So we merely wait until you deem

It fit to begin your song again
Joyously we listen and then

You peck us with a perfunctory kiss
As a smokescreen so that we all will miss

Your devious trip to the plant
Which you desire though knowing you can’t

Quite reach its lofty, perilous tip
Without considerable fortitude and hardship.

Still you embark on this onerous task
Without fear. However, of us you ask

To leave in peace so that only you
On those green threads, can gleefully chew.

As you approach your destination
You are jolted by a terrible sensation -

A large knobby hand grasping at your chest
In a most morbid, miserable, mutinous test

Of your patience and your good manners
Which you maintained, having waved banners

Of friendship to those now blocking your way.
“Is this how they choose to repay

Those countless hours I devoted to them?
Do they not realized I am a gem?”

You query, thoroughly disgusted, out loud
Faced with yet another “disallowed”.

It seems Round One you have decidedly lost.
You feel it was worth whatever the cost.

Having accepted some measure of defeat
You flop onto The Shoulder and begin to eat

The fluff that appears on your scruffy collar.
You know this is safe, no one will holler.

We watch as you tire and puff into a ball
Close your eyes, question the meaning of it all.

For in the distance you can hear us squeal
Pericles, Pericles, our beloved cockatiel!

We notice your every move and feather
Thinking you dream of beautiful heather.

You smile inwardly at us, as you
Lie busily scheming for Round Two!

We shout our delight as you awaken
The deafening roar leaves you visibly shaken.

However, you proceed with great dignity
Towards the tempting bended knee

On which you place a little deposit
Then fly off, wondering why does it

Bother us so, this act of nature
Which only helps to maintain your stature.

When we call you, as we climb upstairs
You promptly mount the head with less hairs.

To reach the pinnacle of your success
You pause to obtain another caress.

Yes, we are falling right into your trap
Round Two is underway in a snap!

As we appear to be dresser bound
You lean towards that mahogany mound

Showing us that you truly wish
To walk on that little dish.

Strutting carefully, you hide your desire
To jump into the drawer quagmire.

Pretending to ignore our acts
You are quickly adding up the facts

Of when you might merrily
Attack those hairpins and broaches you see.

With lightning speed you flash into the pit
If only you could dapple in it

As freely and heartily as you could choose.
Oh no! Not more terrible news!

Down swoops that dreaded hand.
This time you decide to take a stand.

You flap your beak, hiss with bluster
As fiercely as courage could muster

Swerve and swoon with tremendous skill
Continuing to maneuver until

Unfairly looms yet another hand
Which grapples mightily with the command

Of the post you had obtained.
Alas, your energy finally waned,

You yield, completely, to circumstance
But, bearing no grudge, you begin to prance

Upon The Shoulder you really love so.
All is forgotten as you again are aglow

With curiosity, caring, and compassion.
This is the substance we try to fashion

Ourselves after, learning from you
While you entertain on a running shoe.

We beckon to you, missing you already.
Your company, you see, is really a steady

Source of immeasurable pleasure to us
That’s why, Pericles, we create such a fuss.

Your friendly, gentle, beguiling way
Has found a place in our hearts to stay.

It Takes a Community to Raise Our Children

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:36:58 -0800

This is true for all our communities’ children, regardless of species! A perfect example is the story of Cathy Page and a duck family.

Cathy was driving home along the Trans Canada Hwy when she spotted a mother duck and her brood zig zagging between the barriers on the northbound side of the highway. They were trapped and the mother was trying to lead her line of babies to safety.

Cathy slowed down to see if she could help. Luckily, traffic was sparse allowing Cathy the time to observe and assess the situation. Soon a car came up behind her and then tried to pass. When the driver saw the ducks, she ,too, slowed down. The two cars formed an effective shield.

Cathy rolled down her window and called out to this new found partner that if they could give the ducks enough time there would be a break on the right side barrier that the ducks could use to get off the highway.

The two women kept guard while traffic piled up behind them.

Cathy, noting the traffic and seeing that the ducks were not moving towards the clearing told her partner she would stop and get out of her car to usher the ducks off the highway. With her partner holding fort, Cathy, arms outstretched, quietly escorted the mother duck and her babies to the clearing where they happily ran into the grass, out of harms way.

As Cathy rushed back to her car, she saw the waiting drivers clapping. Everyone was pleased to have been part of this rescue.

Traffic resumed and life became normal again. But Cathy was filled with the joy of having helped this mother keep her children safe. Though the moment was over, all the people involved, could keep the warm glow that comes from contributing to the well-being of a vulnerable other.

And somewhere there is a mother duck whose children are safe because of the support of a caring community.