Creative Corner: WildFlower

WildFlower

In the summer of 1969, I picked a wildflower; and her name was Daisy. I don’t even know where to begin explaining…

We met at a train station, somewhere out in North Carolina, I was saying goodbye to my brother. He was leaving for the war, like my father, it was his own choice. As we said our goodbyes, I saw this woman from across a field of people- crying. I didn't know her from Adam and Eve, but all I could do was empathize for her.

She had lost her mother, and soon after her father made her take the “females responsibilities”; like cooking, cleaning and all his laundry. So she ran away. But like all relationships this one started off edgy, I gave her my address, she didn’t want it, so we parted ways. And for the first time in forever I felt like I was walking away from what I knew was right.

Do you believe in love at first sight?” I asked my roommate when I got back that night. He told me I was just freaking out over losing my brother... but I know what I felt.

In this day and age being what I am was definitely frowned upon. I am a lesbian. And homosexuality was looked at as a disease, I was hated for it so I concealed it from everyone aside from my brother of course.

Later on, I almost forgot about Daisy. Until when she came in through my window on day, bloody...

First thing she said to me was, “Got a light?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but uh, we don’t smoke doobies in here.” I take the joint out her hand he put it in my pocket. “Plus you- your bleeding!”

I went and got her a rag for the blood, but when I got back she was smiling. “It’s nothing, I think I got caught on a bush climbing through your window. I got lost in her eyes... “What?”

“Nothing. I like your… necklace. Its really groovy the way it reflects the moonlight.” I pulled that off smoothly.

“Thanks Sunshine!”

“It’s actually Summer...” We continued to talk all night, and apparently she did hurt herself crawling through my window. She got into a fight with the guy she was staying with, he hurt her, but sadly all police officers are pigs and think hitting a woman is keeping them in their place.

Daisy and I had that whole night to us with smiling and sharing our baggage, when she finally asked a question I wanted to hear. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“Actually yeah I do, my brother always told me to have hope ill find someone for me. He is a big believer that everything happens for a reason.” We shared a kiss, and for the first time in forever I felt like something was right. But it was also the beginning to my end.

After months of being happily in love, and sharing millions of memories with Daisy, I almost forgot my brother was at war fighting for his life... And it was on my birthday that I decided to go to a peace movement with all my friends, we even drove all the way too the big city. Although we got yelled at; Although people shamed our love; and although we got rocks thrown at us, we never even cared once. We were in each others arms.

The next morning there was a knock. It was my mother, with her ultimately soul crushing voice. She had a letter.

I couldn’t believe what I read, the letter was from my brother’s friend in the war. He wrote to give our family the sad news. As fell into my mother’s arms, she looked with disgust at Daisy. I had never told my mother because I knew how she felt, and as she roared and cussed I could only forgive... forgive but never forget. I told Daisy I would be back, I was leaving with my mother for John’s funeral. Only she lied.

There was no funeral. This unforgivable, vile woman had me committed into an asylum, a house for the mentally insane. She thought I was sick, but as I was taken in kicking and screaming by the nurses, looking into her soulless eyes I’m sure I saw evil. I could only scream Daisy’s name... “DAISY! DAISY!!”

I knew that where I was going, is where people actually went insane...

I did eventually see Daisy again. I got out of the crazy house, met a man, had a wonderful daughter; Lily. Exactly twenty years from that day I went to that same train station I met Daisy at, I was dropping Lily off for college when she came up go me.

I always remember the quote that Daisy made me memorize once, “What "love" is I don't know if it's not the response of our deepest natures to one another.” It was written by a poet, of the name William Carlos Williams.

In the summer of 1990, I picked a Wildflower; and that Wildflower was evergreen...