Post by Jerod W. Rickert on Jul 28, 2012 7:09:52 GMT -5
Why the Rose of Love is Red...
Once, when the world was new and pure, there was a garden, tended by the gentle Espers... it was full of simple, pure White Roses... they were for each and every person to come and select, they were given to one another, in honor of friendship and the love that grows from it... Early on, it was a simple task for the Espers, mankind was humble and gave the Roses for true friendship only... But as time went on, man took a beautiful and simple plan and corrupted it's beauty as we are wont to do... And as mankind became more concerned with itself and less with others, the roses slowly underwent a transformation.... as man's hearts became cold and dark from pain and fear, some roses became black... as man's heart became timid and fearful, more afraid of pain than willing to reach out, some roses became yellow... as man mourned for himself and his perceived losses, some roses became blue... and as man gave more thought and credence to himself than he ought, some roses became purple... and fewer and fewer white roses existed... each year, fewer white roses would bloom, and more of the others... the Espers became noticeably quieter and more withdrawn, less friendly, less accommodating... they would simply hand the rose of appropriate color to the seeker and w/o a word, escort them from the garden... all except those seeking the diminishing White Roses... they were taken to the center of the garden, where the remaining Roses still thrived, and allowed to explain what they needed, and why... most left sad and with a different colored rose, but a few left with the precious White Rose... finally, the numbers dwindled to almost nothing... only a handful remained and almost no one could present a reason to leave with one... it was during this time that it was noticed the Espers numbers had also dwindled, slowly at first, then more noticeably until only 2 remained, a male and female... and the sorrow that rested on their shoulders was visible to all... though few took the time to mourn it, or care... the few that asked were simply handed their rose of choice, and answered with an almost imperceptible shake of the head... news spread through the kingdom, there was only one White Rose left... and the Espers were dying!!! No one knew or understood how this could be, what had happened, and what would become of the roses? sadly, within a few days business as usual seemed to be the norm, few took time to ponder or care, they now simply went and got the rose they sought, a few paid respect to the laboring Espers, most did not... until one day...
A young man, simple and unremarkable in appearance, came to the garden... He looked around the garden and saw the beleaguered Espers, and offered, his eyes moist with compassion, to help them for a bit with weeding and caring for the garden before he made his request... The Espers paused, exchanged a glance and simply nodded, pointing to the little garden shed... the young man went and found the tools he needed and simply began to work in the garden... with such love and care, and such tender attention to detail, that even the Espers paused now and again to simply watch him work... it is said that no one that day that came for a rose left untouched to see the young man work... the day closed and after the Garden was tended for the night, the Espers motioned the young man to select his rose... he simply said he would be back in the morning to work again and then he would select his rose... the Espers simply exchanged that glance, and nodded... this went on for a week... and on the seventh day, the young man was accompanied by a woman of such exquisite beauty that even the Espers could not remove their eyes from her... the young man simply said he was there to work for the day and wanted to know if his beloved could simply sit and watch... The Espers exchanged their look, and some observers swore they saw a smile, for the first time in untold years, it is believed the Espers smiled... The young man went to work, the young woman watching with more admiration and love than most would have imagined still existed... as noontime approached, the young woman unpacked and presented a beautiful lunch for her and her beloved, and invited the Espers to join... The Espers exchanged that knowing look and sat with the young couple... as the young man and woman gazed at each other, and dined not only on food, but on a palpable love for each other, the Espers ate and simply nodded knowingly to each other... After the meal the young man went back to work, this time, the woman joined him at his side, the 2 working together tending the garden... the Espers watched, traces of a smile playing their lips... at the close of the day, the simple young man and beautiful young girl helped close down the garden for the night... as every night before, the Espers motioned for the young man to pick... now it was the young man and woman who exchanged glances... the young woman nodded, and the young man, through broken words and much stammering explained that they did not want a rose, they simply desired to be able to pledge their commitment to each other in the presence of the one remaining White Rose... The Espers exchanged their look and beckoned the couple to follow...
The young man and woman, hand-in-hand, followed the Espers to the back alcove... and stopped in shock and horror... there in the midst of a dark, overgrown, insect and spider infested alcove grew the most delicate and beautiful Rose the young couple had ever seen, surrounded by briars and thorns... but you could almost feel it's pain and sorrow for it's surroundings... the young woman began to weep, unabashedly, the young man with tears in his own eyes, turned to the Espers and asked why? How could such love and care be given to a garden of superficial roses for people that did not love, but this precious treasure be left to grow in beauty surrounded by such sorrow and ugliness? And for the first time in memory out of mind, the Espers Spoke! With one voice, male and female they spoke...
"Our Precious Man-children, this Rose is singular, it is ours, and only our love and faith gives it life... we tend the garden for others, that our own Love has a home, for even in such a world as this, what would our love be without a comparison of the sorrow that surrounds it... if you look closely, that Rose is smudged, and chewed on, it is wilty and imperfect, but here it shows the beauty it is created from... the sheer darkness and depression that surrounds it has kept it tenacious and unwilling to give into the very despair that makes it beautiful... but it is now your Rose, for you two to pluck and take with you from here, together and as one, or not at all, for the secret of the White Rose has never been deep, only forgotten and rejected... it is not the Rose which makes strong the love, but the Love which makes strong the Rose... and as man has rejected and forgotten this, the White Rose has given birth and given way to many an upstart color... There is only this one left, it is for you to decide now... it is yours to pluck and take"... and as they finished speaking, the Espers, took hold of each others age worn hands, and with a look in each others eyes that transcended the love of ages seen and forgotten, they slowly sank into the ground, becoming at last one with the garden they had so long tended...
The young couple stood in confusion, amazement and sorrow.... In the silence and gloom they exchanged a single glance, and as one reached out and took hold of the single White Rose... and paused.... They looked again in each others eyes and hearts, and understood... As they went to pull their hands out, and to leave this Rose to continue, they found the briars and thorns unforgiving and painful... Cutting deeply, scarring their flesh, and splattering that precious singular flower with the crimson... As they were at last able to extract their now bleeding hands, they gazed in horror at the once perfect Rose... flecked with scarlet.... and then the stains began to expand, taking over more and more of the flower, until no white was left... The young lovers grieved at what they had done... In trying to save something beautiful they had changed it... And that Rose began to shine... with a light they could not understand, chasing the darkness and gloom from the alcove... sending insect and spider alike scurrying from it's presence... The very briars and thorns pulled back and dying, sank into the same ground that had claimed the Espers only moments before... And as the last traces of darkness and gloom and disuse were expelled from the alcove, the light of the Rose blinked out and it shriveled and fell to the ground... The young couple stood transfixed, unable to register everything they had seen, but moved with such great sorrow for the loss of the last White Rose... They had sought only the Blessing of the Rose for their love, and instead had seen not only it's death but the demise of it's caretakers... All that had seemed so clear only moments before, now was lost in confusion and pain... The couple stepped apart from each other, each not knowing if the blame was theirs, their partners or if they had destroyed this together... Looking upon each other in anguish, they turned to go... Alone... Sad... not understanding what had happened...
As they reached the gate to exit the garden... they paused... and a sound as gentle as the cocoon opening the first time... Heard, not by their ears but by their hearts... They turned slowly, and watched in wonder... Where only moments before was an empty alcove of painful memory and sadness, there were 10's, no 100's, no 1000's of new little rose bushes... spreading back through the garden... and from each gentle shoot, two buds... one White and one Red... The young couple now truly understood... Without pain their could be no Love, without despair and sorrow, Love could not find it's voice... and in a land and world of selfishness and greed, no ONE man or woman could ever claim that last Rose... And only those that Loved it enough to leave it, could ever hope to claim it... For Love was not born of one, but of two... and it was only through the scars they received together, that the Rose was given it's chance to die, to bring a greater life than before it was touched by Love... For in the dying of the old was not only the old saved, but the new brought forth... And they tended the garden the rest of their life together... And that is Why the Rose of Love is Red...
Once, when the world was new and pure, there was a garden, tended by the gentle Espers... it was full of simple, pure White Roses... they were for each and every person to come and select, they were given to one another, in honor of friendship and the love that grows from it... Early on, it was a simple task for the Espers, mankind was humble and gave the Roses for true friendship only... But as time went on, man took a beautiful and simple plan and corrupted it's beauty as we are wont to do... And as mankind became more concerned with itself and less with others, the roses slowly underwent a transformation.... as man's hearts became cold and dark from pain and fear, some roses became black... as man's heart became timid and fearful, more afraid of pain than willing to reach out, some roses became yellow... as man mourned for himself and his perceived losses, some roses became blue... and as man gave more thought and credence to himself than he ought, some roses became purple... and fewer and fewer white roses existed... each year, fewer white roses would bloom, and more of the others... the Espers became noticeably quieter and more withdrawn, less friendly, less accommodating... they would simply hand the rose of appropriate color to the seeker and w/o a word, escort them from the garden... all except those seeking the diminishing White Roses... they were taken to the center of the garden, where the remaining Roses still thrived, and allowed to explain what they needed, and why... most left sad and with a different colored rose, but a few left with the precious White Rose... finally, the numbers dwindled to almost nothing... only a handful remained and almost no one could present a reason to leave with one... it was during this time that it was noticed the Espers numbers had also dwindled, slowly at first, then more noticeably until only 2 remained, a male and female... and the sorrow that rested on their shoulders was visible to all... though few took the time to mourn it, or care... the few that asked were simply handed their rose of choice, and answered with an almost imperceptible shake of the head... news spread through the kingdom, there was only one White Rose left... and the Espers were dying!!! No one knew or understood how this could be, what had happened, and what would become of the roses? sadly, within a few days business as usual seemed to be the norm, few took time to ponder or care, they now simply went and got the rose they sought, a few paid respect to the laboring Espers, most did not... until one day...
A young man, simple and unremarkable in appearance, came to the garden... He looked around the garden and saw the beleaguered Espers, and offered, his eyes moist with compassion, to help them for a bit with weeding and caring for the garden before he made his request... The Espers paused, exchanged a glance and simply nodded, pointing to the little garden shed... the young man went and found the tools he needed and simply began to work in the garden... with such love and care, and such tender attention to detail, that even the Espers paused now and again to simply watch him work... it is said that no one that day that came for a rose left untouched to see the young man work... the day closed and after the Garden was tended for the night, the Espers motioned the young man to select his rose... he simply said he would be back in the morning to work again and then he would select his rose... the Espers simply exchanged that glance, and nodded... this went on for a week... and on the seventh day, the young man was accompanied by a woman of such exquisite beauty that even the Espers could not remove their eyes from her... the young man simply said he was there to work for the day and wanted to know if his beloved could simply sit and watch... The Espers exchanged their look, and some observers swore they saw a smile, for the first time in untold years, it is believed the Espers smiled... The young man went to work, the young woman watching with more admiration and love than most would have imagined still existed... as noontime approached, the young woman unpacked and presented a beautiful lunch for her and her beloved, and invited the Espers to join... The Espers exchanged that knowing look and sat with the young couple... as the young man and woman gazed at each other, and dined not only on food, but on a palpable love for each other, the Espers ate and simply nodded knowingly to each other... After the meal the young man went back to work, this time, the woman joined him at his side, the 2 working together tending the garden... the Espers watched, traces of a smile playing their lips... at the close of the day, the simple young man and beautiful young girl helped close down the garden for the night... as every night before, the Espers motioned for the young man to pick... now it was the young man and woman who exchanged glances... the young woman nodded, and the young man, through broken words and much stammering explained that they did not want a rose, they simply desired to be able to pledge their commitment to each other in the presence of the one remaining White Rose... The Espers exchanged their look and beckoned the couple to follow...
The young man and woman, hand-in-hand, followed the Espers to the back alcove... and stopped in shock and horror... there in the midst of a dark, overgrown, insect and spider infested alcove grew the most delicate and beautiful Rose the young couple had ever seen, surrounded by briars and thorns... but you could almost feel it's pain and sorrow for it's surroundings... the young woman began to weep, unabashedly, the young man with tears in his own eyes, turned to the Espers and asked why? How could such love and care be given to a garden of superficial roses for people that did not love, but this precious treasure be left to grow in beauty surrounded by such sorrow and ugliness? And for the first time in memory out of mind, the Espers Spoke! With one voice, male and female they spoke...
"Our Precious Man-children, this Rose is singular, it is ours, and only our love and faith gives it life... we tend the garden for others, that our own Love has a home, for even in such a world as this, what would our love be without a comparison of the sorrow that surrounds it... if you look closely, that Rose is smudged, and chewed on, it is wilty and imperfect, but here it shows the beauty it is created from... the sheer darkness and depression that surrounds it has kept it tenacious and unwilling to give into the very despair that makes it beautiful... but it is now your Rose, for you two to pluck and take with you from here, together and as one, or not at all, for the secret of the White Rose has never been deep, only forgotten and rejected... it is not the Rose which makes strong the love, but the Love which makes strong the Rose... and as man has rejected and forgotten this, the White Rose has given birth and given way to many an upstart color... There is only this one left, it is for you to decide now... it is yours to pluck and take"... and as they finished speaking, the Espers, took hold of each others age worn hands, and with a look in each others eyes that transcended the love of ages seen and forgotten, they slowly sank into the ground, becoming at last one with the garden they had so long tended...
The young couple stood in confusion, amazement and sorrow.... In the silence and gloom they exchanged a single glance, and as one reached out and took hold of the single White Rose... and paused.... They looked again in each others eyes and hearts, and understood... As they went to pull their hands out, and to leave this Rose to continue, they found the briars and thorns unforgiving and painful... Cutting deeply, scarring their flesh, and splattering that precious singular flower with the crimson... As they were at last able to extract their now bleeding hands, they gazed in horror at the once perfect Rose... flecked with scarlet.... and then the stains began to expand, taking over more and more of the flower, until no white was left... The young lovers grieved at what they had done... In trying to save something beautiful they had changed it... And that Rose began to shine... with a light they could not understand, chasing the darkness and gloom from the alcove... sending insect and spider alike scurrying from it's presence... The very briars and thorns pulled back and dying, sank into the same ground that had claimed the Espers only moments before... And as the last traces of darkness and gloom and disuse were expelled from the alcove, the light of the Rose blinked out and it shriveled and fell to the ground... The young couple stood transfixed, unable to register everything they had seen, but moved with such great sorrow for the loss of the last White Rose... They had sought only the Blessing of the Rose for their love, and instead had seen not only it's death but the demise of it's caretakers... All that had seemed so clear only moments before, now was lost in confusion and pain... The couple stepped apart from each other, each not knowing if the blame was theirs, their partners or if they had destroyed this together... Looking upon each other in anguish, they turned to go... Alone... Sad... not understanding what had happened...
As they reached the gate to exit the garden... they paused... and a sound as gentle as the cocoon opening the first time... Heard, not by their ears but by their hearts... They turned slowly, and watched in wonder... Where only moments before was an empty alcove of painful memory and sadness, there were 10's, no 100's, no 1000's of new little rose bushes... spreading back through the garden... and from each gentle shoot, two buds... one White and one Red... The young couple now truly understood... Without pain their could be no Love, without despair and sorrow, Love could not find it's voice... and in a land and world of selfishness and greed, no ONE man or woman could ever claim that last Rose... And only those that Loved it enough to leave it, could ever hope to claim it... For Love was not born of one, but of two... and it was only through the scars they received together, that the Rose was given it's chance to die, to bring a greater life than before it was touched by Love... For in the dying of the old was not only the old saved, but the new brought forth... And they tended the garden the rest of their life together... And that is Why the Rose of Love is Red...