Kijun Times

The Flower Show 

The king himself passes by 
each flower arrayed in line 
and praises each in turn; 

“Lovely.” 
“Elegant.” 
“Gorgeous.” 
“Delicate.” 
“Radiant.” 
“Voluptuous.” 
“Breathtaking.” 

At the end of inspection the king smiles 
back over the whole range of flowers 
and looks away; to find a boy by the door, 
a boy in rags, sobbing, with an empty pot 
                                          in his arms; 

the king approaches him and asks, 
“Whatever makes you cry, my good boy?” 

“Punish me, your majesty. 
I planted the seed 
your majesty granted to us 
in the pot carefully and 

watered it every day…but…but 
due to the lack of my sincerity… 
was not able to grow 
a sprout from it.” 

The king raises the boy softly, wiping 
the boy’s tears with his own handkerchief, 
turns to the people and proclaims, 

“Look here, my people, 
today’s grand prize goes to this boy 
for his truly humble, rare flower- 
the flower of honesty; and it bears testimony 

to the mighty and powerful future 
for this kingdom still ahead 
because some of the seeds I gave you 
were made of iron.”