2014年7月1日星期二

Red Spring Flowers


This was the early Friday morning of the twenty first day of March and I took a day off from work. I met Redcotton, the flower of the month, the first time this year.
Redcotton, don’t you know you’re on the spot right now?

What do you mean?
Well, you’re everywhere, along the roads, at midlevel, in the parks, among the concrete blocks, in every photo blog and even next to the sewage ditch here!


Now I see what you mean.

They say you’re exceptionally red and brilliant this year and they compare you with the exotic red maple leaves.
Maple? I don’t know she’s got red flowers, this is new to me.

Didn’t father red cotton tree tell you it’s the maple leaves that turn yellow, then orange and finally blood red in autumn?
No! Why should he? You never see me in autumn.

But why shouldn’t he?
I don’t get you…mm… but never mind.

Alright! Alright! Don’t get mad at me. I think of you being the icon of the red cotton trees, your succulent green buds bursting through every single branch of the towering tree trunk and your red leathery petals shimmering like fire in the misty morning air.  Some people even call you guys The Hero Tree. Nobody beats you right now. So I thought old father tree trunk must have told you everything.

Mm…mm…mm…Nope.


You know very soon you’ll turn into a brown pod. On a breezy dry morning when all of you decide to synchronize the release of the tiny seeds, the pods split and the wind will send hundreds of silvery thread balls into the ascending air. That’s sensational and it’s like the first snow of December.

Me turning into tiny seeds and flowing with the morning breezes with the lumps of silvery threads? That sounds cool but how does that happen? Never heard of this.
It just happens. Believe me.

Hard to imagine though.
But year after year, century after century, that’s how you guys are and how you will become later.

I’m totally content with who I am.
Oh! By the way, your leaves are really handsome!

Leaves? I won’t say those few yellow wrinkled dry leaves that always shed when I start blooming are handsome! They are pathetic… and I must rethink your aesthetic level!



They’re not pathetic! They spread out in a bold and stylish manner forming a patterned canopy that even resists the gusty typhoon winds.

Unbelievable! I’ve never seen anything close to that but I don’t mind if they were.
It’s getting late and I have to finish some work at home and email a report to my boss later this afternoon. I’ll be back Sunday afternoon to take some pictures of you. You’re a real stunner and special. For many years I kept thinking that I must capture your sophisticated beauty with my un-sophisticated camera whenever I walked past you. This year, I must put thoughts into actions. Promise.

That’s very kind of you. I’m blushed. See you then.
See you.

That same evening, the sky was slit open from north to south by the unexpected lightning and torrential rains poured in to scrub the land together with the gusts until dawn. The sun came out as if nothing had happened over the night.

I kept my promise and visited Redcotton the next day afternoon but I cursed the relentless heat from the sunshine. It was a different scene under the three tall trees by the ditch. Not many red flowers were still on the branches and some of them only survived with 3 or 4 petals. This must be the work of the rainstorm the night before. Most of the flowers scattered around on the concrete, failing to know that in a normal year they would not wither on the branches but descend to the land as if they were plastic flowers. This year, their promising displays were cut short without a single warning. There won’t be many silvery threads in the air later in the year as well. 





Ding…ding…ding…

I turned around just to see a bicycle swooshing past me. Oh yes! That was a bicycle lane. I could hear squish…squish… as the wheels of the bicycle ran over the flowers. I couldn’t tell where Redcotton was as every flower under the trees just laid there without a hiss. I was sorry that we didn’t have a “proper” farewell goodbye.
A familiar sentiment rose from my chest to the eyes as I strolled around this little graveyard of red flowers. It’s a blending of bitter sadness and joyful admiration of life.

Redcotton, I think, like all of your kind you’re beautiful, attractive and unique as you’re fully aware of. No floral contenders can match you in the early springs of this city. However, there’s something I’d never tell you two days ago and I’m glad that you knew nothing about the Tree more than you knew about yourself. To me, you finally turn into a beauty after you have landed on the ground, this year, the many years that passed and the many years that are to pass.



Only from a close distance can one see the fine filaments at the centre of the flower that lead to places where seeds of the size of sesame grow. You give those humble little seeds a spectacular crown before they are formed. I very much hope that they know this fact.







Your bright red colour fades into different hues of orange and brown and your fleshy petals shrink and fold into different shapes and forms, waving at the downing sun with grace and hallowing the beautiful span of time you have lived through. It’s splendid. This is the time I really admire you but I’m sure you’ll never appreciate that. It doesn’t matter, does it? I only know you’re proud of being one of the magnificent red flowers that wake up spring from her sleep every year.
So, is it dumb and naïve not able to see past what we are now and what the world we see is? Or is it a blessing just to be content with what we have in life and enjoy what we are made for? Will Redcotton believe that she will turn into hundreds of silvery threads in June and that the green leaves suck up every single drop of nutrients from the soil and sacrifice themselves so that she can be one of the many stunners that only survive a few days? Will she believe that I admire her more after she withers? And will she speak with me again next year if I had told her the truth this year? I doubted.




There is a Chinese saying - 井蛙不可以語於海者,拘於虛也;夏蟲不可以語於冰者,篤於時也;曲士不可以語於道者,束於教也So, can I say 春花不可語於果者,緣於命也? So, am I still a frog that doesn’t believe there’re oceans, a summer worm that doesn’t trust rivers freeze in cold winters, and a man who doesn’t take a straight road to a place after having lived away tens of winters and having travelled hundreds of thousands of miles? The answers are pretty obvious, yes, yes and yes. But will I be happier if I just believe I'm a frog in the well? Will I worry less if I merely believe the rivers always flow? Or will I pick up more fun and excitements if I keep walking down a meandering path? And what more do I need to convince myself flowers will ultimately turn into seeds after seeing all sorts of fruits and seeds?
I'm not sure, but does it matter?

What if it matters?

What if I regret one day, one final day?

44 則留言:

  1. Gravel, 你與木棉花的對話使人發心省,生命之奧秘顯現在日常生活之間,與我形影不離。謝謝你的美好分享!

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    1. 小猴, 我也多謝你的到訪。同意生命之奧秘每天都顯現在日常生活之間,衹是少有閒情去欣賞和領悟。你也好好享受身邊一切美好的事物。週末快樂。

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  2. Sometimes, it's indeed a blessing just to be content with what you are and what you have, don't care about other things, as long as your existence brings happiness to others.

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    1. Hello Crystal,
      Thanks for the visit. I guess I have had more blessings recently as I feel more content with what's been happening. True, we don't really have to be a saint but at least don't bring unhappiness to others. Have a happy Independence Day and a great weekend. Wow! a long weekend!

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    2. Thank you. You enjoy the rest of your weekend too.
      It's still July 4th. At this moment, I can still hear fireworks exploding nearby this this neighborhood. Thought it's illegal, people always play fireworks on this day in quiet neighborhoods.

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    3. It's like that here in the Chinese New Year. Semi-openly!

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  3. I really love your photos with meaningful wordings ! You are creative and I appreciate your presentation of linking up your photos to express your feelings and ideas to the theme: I like its rhythm, Thanks for your sharing and I always can learn something from your writings. Take good care ...........

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    1. Thanks Josephine for your kind words and I think you have over-rated me. I just enjoy the process of writing out my thoughts. Sometimes this is a relaxing thing to do when things are getting difficult.
      Thanks again for your dropping by.

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  4. It is so interesting that your conversation with Redcotton, and I like your meaningful words in the last paragraph as well....Hope you can write more in the near future...

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    1. Would you think of me being mentally insane talking with a tree hahaha.....? Thanks for dropping by. Oh! The last paragraph is probably telling people that I haven't got a clue what's happening to myself! But never mind, just be OK for what I am.
      You have a great weekend.

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  5. 綠葉為使紅棉來春開,葉落成全紅棉花開遍 … 開在春天的紅色花,紅棉,等妳!

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    1. 生命的每部份都有它的前因後果,我也在等她的再來,多謝到訪。週末快樂。

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  6. Nature is just a whole pattern of cyclical phenomena, an "Eternal Return" (永劫回歸) as seen in the continual recurrence of history, the alternation of seasons, sunrise and sunset, the ascend and fall of dynasties, the succession of eras, the recurring chaos and harmony in the universe, and the passing on of life from seedling, fruition, maturity, procreation, senility to eventual death. These are the laws of nature which no one can resist or change. So rather than moaning about the fleetingness of life and misspent youth, why not let life run its natural course and live it to the full. Bow not to death but live proudly with dignity just like the resilient Red Cotton. As human beings, are we not more sentient than the plants?

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  7. Thank you Peter. You are more like a wise man lately here and in your blogs (this is a respectful connotation) and I appreciate what you share. All points are well taken.
    You mention "Eternal Return" here. I realized there are great wisdom and philosophies behind these two otherwise common words after I looked for the meaning of them. I studied science subjects in secondary school (and did badly in art subjects!), have a religious faith now and work in a human service setting for quite a long time, yet the guiding philosophies behind them don't seem to take deep roots in the way I think. I quite see things and lives as an inevitable progression from happening to disappearance, whether there is a recurrence of the human species never comes across my mind but I often ask why things are as they are, not necessary for the huge words like life and death; love and hatred but the very mundane details of day to day life, people and objects. I think I have not reached the mark when I keep asking for the reasons of the speedy passing away of life and youth (though it may be soon and it is nothing to do with age, I believe), but very often I can't help getting sentimental about the fine unexpected twists of every day life or feeling sorry or grateful about the small parts of life and living per se.
    I like your overt positivity, the way you see life, things, people and your interaction with them, physically and emotionally. Your last few words explain who I am, what I am and how I am - as human being we are far more sentient than plants. Have a great hot weekend. I'm going to get the book this afternoon now. Thanks again for your great sharing.

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  8. Gravel, you give the life to the Red cotton, although someone may say it is mental insane, haha. For me, you are know the language of the plant, please speak more, if you can, so the deaf human like me can know more about of the nature, thank you!

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    1. Gravel , 請多與植物交談 , 告之它們美麗和偉大!

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    2. Hi YKK, I can't be that powerful to give life to the flowers, their short lived life just makes me think a bit too much hahaha...! Even if I could speak, I am not going to tell anyone because I don't want to be put into a mental hospital!!!

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    3. Hi Key, 我相信大自然創造的植物祇需要我們一看便知道它們的美麗和偉大,文字和說話都是畫蛇添足。

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  9. 很多人喜歡木棉樹的花,
    所以當看到你拍的木棉樹葉子和種子,
    很有一種新鮮和愉悅的感覺!^ ^

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    1. 多謝 p Wong 光臨,你那裡倒有很多有趣和悅目的照片,除了"正常"的寫照外,還有很多鮮為人用的角度,為不同的植物添上很多特別性格呢!

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    2. 那只是因為我喜歡為植物添上人性化,以前更甚,現在已經收歛了些些!^ ^

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  10. Hi, checking to see if it works?

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  11. Red-cotton and Maple tree, they both have their special character , their beauty , their uniqueness.....Haha, of course I like Maple more than red-cotton. I always have the imagination----if human life has the same cycle of Red-cotton or Maple .......the whole world would have different......but nor sure it's good or not????The beauty is short lived , but can be shown once a year.......that's the worth of life.......!!!!!

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    1. I believe your favorite must be Maple and it is a very handsome and beautiful tree even when it is not autumn. It actually becomes a favorite among photographers in Hong Kong lately as many have been planted in the countryside recently. Life will be definitely different if I have a life cycle like red cotton or maple! But this is an impossible and unrealistic dream! Don't you think so?

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  12. Hi, good morning, Gravel, you turn to the new style? You don’t tell us what you heard in the minibus, train, fast food restaurant or hospital, you share how to live. I think this is the greatest gift you give the Redcotton before she’s killed – to explain what happen in her life & hope that she’ll think of you as her friend as you seem to be very gentle.

    Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. Do you agreed that death is the equalizer ? But we do not govern life & death. I do think much about death when I get sick, I don’t think why it’s so hard to think about dying. I’m going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better for me. Once I learn how to die, I learn how to live. I think the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love & let it come in. No life is a waste. Dying, is not the end of everything, is only the beginning. Gravel, you’re a young, enjoy yourself in your life. Take care, please.

    I like talking to my dog, my cat & my snoopy but they were disappeared. I told myself that I lost something, but I gained something as well so I keep silence with smile. Don’t be shyly to talk to the plant if you like. Have a great pleasure day !

    Do you think who’s the World Football Cup Champion? I guess Argentina. Argentina is a great of mine.

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    1. Joyce,
      Sorry to learn that you were not well. Hope you are better now.
      I guess I have changed the subject of my writings without my own awareness since moving to this blog site. I don't think I did that purposefully and the subject matters are actually quite heavy or boring sometimes. They just came out as the writings progressed. It may be because those are the stories closest to me in the past half year. I haven't thought about life and death when I wrote as I needed to get my present moment back to order first! And, I agree that we have no control over life and death, so I am not taking it too seriously right now. I may, when I get really old and unfortunately clear-minded! It's still good not to ignore their presence. I will make some efforts to change the theme in the next writing.
      Hope you are not too disappointed by the result of the football game last night.
      Have a healthy and happy week.

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    2. 此留言已被作者移除。

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    3. Hi, Gravel, belated Happy Birthday to you. No matter what happened, take care, please. God bless you !

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  13. 紅棉落盡已久,,賞花要等待來年的春天了。
    我也曾追趕收集過木棉樹落下的棉絮,打開棉絮後~驚見有種子藏在一團白色的絮絲裡!

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    1. 對呀,紅棉落盡已久,但其綠葉正茂盛。聽長輩說以前有人會用那些絲絮做枕頭,說特別通爽。

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  14. Interesting conversation with Redcotton.
    Besides, I think it'll be happier if I just believe I'm a frog flying in the sky.

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    1. Hello 百了
      Great to see you back again. Did you just come back from the moon?
      I guess it is a monologue more than a conversation.
      Not bad an idea to be a flying frog! You can choose to stay at the bottom of a well or on top of a mountain.

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    1. 做英雄 (hero) 更不容易!
      Have a nice weekend.

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  16. Very impressed by the unique presentation of your writing. Your writing is beautiful: the photos, the language you used, and the genuine feelings you expressed. Surprisingly, your Chinese language is very good too. I have read it thrice at different times and tasted the meaning behind it. I must admit that life is full of challenges and uncertainties and I also experienced of fear and struggle for those setbacks and uncertainties. One sentence came into my mind: "embrace challenges with hope and unity". I like this sentence very much when I first saw it from you. Hope this can guide us and make us feel peaceful in mind.

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    1. Thanks for the kind words - a bit over-rated I think. Well everyone has his or her path and surely experiences differently along it. We can try to change our course but no one knows whether the attempt succeeds.

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  17. 很喜歡怒放既紅棉 ...確實 , 忙碌的生活會對身邊既事與物忽略了 !!

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    1. 多謝Betty到訪呀!
      很多時忙碌的生活確實令自己忽畧身邊的事情,有時連最親近的人也冷落了呢!祝你忙裡也偷閑呀。

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  18. 凋零的木棉花 , 令人感到歲月不饒人 , 年華悄然流逝!

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    1. Hi Key,
      花開花落有時真令人感到歲月摧人,回過頭時已過了半生有多。
      好好享受所擁有的每一天。
      生活快樂。

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  19. Thoughtful words and beautiful pictures, brimming with love and care. Who needs big words?. Simple words, true feelings about the "trivialities" of life are always touching. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi El,
      Thanks for the kind words which I treasure very much, particularly when they are from you. I think the words I used just reflect my limited vocabulary! Have been busy, so not in the best state to visit you guys or to leave responses. Will definitely come back to you soon. Have great week.

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  20. Hi Gravel~
    你好嗎?很有意思很美麗的分享!謝謝你呀~
    祝願中秋佳節愉快!!!^^

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Thanks for your sharing...