Notes About The Poem
For the contest Sponsored by Daniel Henry Rodgers
The Prismatic Self: A Gauntlet Of Mirrors Within The Arena Poetry Contest
The Prismatic Self
Colossians 3:17-25 KJV Bible
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. [23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; [24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."
Starr Lily grew up in the King’s flower garden. She gloried in the gaze of the King, waving her pink and white petals whenever he came near, wafting her magnetic fragrance.
The other families of flowers, the Roses, Azaleas, Orchids, Lupins, and several more, surrounded the Lily family, who lived in the Valley.
Everyday the King would come to his garden with the Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom. They would have high tea by the fountain when the sun was warm, stroll through the Kingdom, arm in arm, admiring the grandeur all around them.
Their Royal garden was entered in the Kingdoms garden contest every year. The flower families turned out in their absolute best…*colors loud and bright, fragrances fresh and pure. Every year the Royal garden won first place!
Then one day the King did not return. The Lords and Ladies stopped visiting the garden,and the contest date came and went without notice.
The flowers began to lose petals and wilt. They bowed their heads in sorrow and never again let their succulent scents pervade. One after the other, the flowers turned grey and lost the sweet fragrances that used to draw such crowds in admiration.
Starr, however, was not ready to give up!
“Why are you all fading away?” Starr cried in desperation.
Her good friend Lavender was close by and still had some faint color in her cheeks.
She answered,** “We wear bright colors to look our best. We look our best to attract attention. We attract attention to gain words of praise. We gain words of praise for affirmation and to feed our ego. Without attention there's no reason to shine.”
Then, weakly, before fading completely, her friend Lavender asked her, “ Why do you still stand so tall, Starr? Why do you shine so bright and continue to wave your scent into the air?"
Lillian pasted a genuine smile on her face and said, “ oh, but Lavender, Didn't you know that the King still watches over us from his castle? That every morning, he has someone open his window so he may look out at his beautiful garden, and catch our scent on the breeze?
We are loved by him and the people. So although I can no longer hear words of praise, I have hope that what I do will make a difference to someone, somewhere.”
Lavender climbed shakily to her full height, ***not an easy feat for one so weak, and she looked at the castle rising high above them.
“ I cannot see him!” cried the purple flower.
Starr closed her eyes, tilting back her head with a smile, “ That doesn't mean he isn't there, Lav, dear. “
Footnotes:
*Synesthesia is a technique where the author blends different senses in their descriptions creating a rich, vivid sensory experience for the reader.
Example:
“…colors loud and bright, fragrances fresh and pure.”
**anadiplosis is a rhetorical device where the last word or phrase of a clause is repeated at the beginning of the next, creating rhythm, emphasizing a point and building momentum.
Example:
“We wear bright colors to look our best. We look our best to attract attention. We attract attention to gain words of praise. We gain words of praise for affirmation and to feed our ego.”
***litotes is a figure of Speech that uses understatement to emphasize a point by denying the opposite of what is intended.
Example:
“not an easy feat for one so weak, and she looked at the castle rising high above them.”
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