Once upon a time
A farmer made a mistake
…and planted a bad seed
Shocked at the mistake
…he panicked thinking the seed will not yield any fruits
After germinating
…the seed always made a mess in the farm
…by standing out with its redflag colour and shedding unnecessarily
…leaves which protected it from harsh weathers
Thankfully
…many people in the community loved the poor plant
…and heaped their sun
…blew their air
…and spared their water to grow it
II
Still, the seed grew only to shed its flowers
…without as much as keeping one
…to fruition
Making a mess in the farm
…and having the family of the farmer
…clean after it
III
During harvesting
Many of the community members
…having soft spot for the poor plant
…asked that it be kept for another farming season
But others were tired of its mess
…and feared it might influence other seeds
…to emulate its poor stature in the future
So the majority voted that the seed be cut down
IV
After the seed heard this
It gathered momentum and decided
…to intensify its mess
Hoping its fury will force the community
…to keep it for another season
So it shed its leaves
…cut off its own branches to hurt neighbouring plants
…uprooted some of its roots
…and shook with the wind
…threatening to fall on those who voted against it
V
Some feared the consequences
…and intensified their support by holding onto it even in the strong winds
Others, appalled, looked on in horror
With fears and jeers and regrets and prayers
The whole community walked on eggshells like haunted criminals
Until the tree did itself in
…and fell flat after destroying part of the farm
…by forcing some of its flowers to fruition
…and forcefully replanting them on the farmer’s land
…before its demise
VI
The farmer
…having learnt his lesson
…promised to uproot those seeds by all means
But the seeds hid among the best
…making it difficult to be seen
…to be uprooted out of the lot
…and stayed on the farm for generations to come
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © November 12, 2020
Mum Cee 