the daisy said hello to me
Writing by Elizabeth Cheng
the daisy said hello to me,
which was nice but unexpected.
i greeted her back.
the next day,
she welcomed me with a warm smile.
i whispered hello.
alas, the daisy kept me
for four days and four nights.
day one,
we watched the sun makes its way
in an arc across the golden sky.
day two,
we reminisced at the puffy clouds
drifting ever so slightly with the wind.
day three,
i slept under the protection of her arm
and snuggled against the heat of her body,
perfectly warm despite the piercing cold outside.
day four,
the daisy looked at me,
afraid,
for the first time.
she lit a small fire
as the bronze sun crept behind the hills
and the fire continued through the night.
the sky darkened,
a twinkle of the stars dimming as the fog set in,
i slept like an infant
for the very last time.
the arc in the sky was no longer the golden sun,
but carved black,
like a stone etched in anger.
a furious artist had smeared charcoal dust
all over his canvas.
i turned to see the daisy lying down peacefully.
her face was scorched with ash and
muddled with smoke.
she turned her head slightly,
fluttering her eyes open,
before closing them again,
this time eternally.