BEST FLOWERS FOR FLORIDA

Name: Polythymnia [Pah-lee-theem-nee-yah]

Age: Stopped counting after 125

Origin: Odelle - A planet in a galaxy far, far away.

Location: Rain Forest of NeverWhere

Role: Gatherer

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It was a normal day for Nia, she got up early to go out and gather food and supplies for her family.. She stopped at the door, grabbed her basket,and went her usual way, through the forest and along the creek.. She stopped halfway along the creek to admire the newly grown flowers that only bloomed around that time of the year. She smiled at them, "How beautiful they are.." she thought to her self. Though her mother always warned her, "Be mindful of your time when you go out Polythmnia, never stay longer than needed.." She usually did just that, but today was different.. The forest seemed more alluring than ever, with the grass so green, the trees so full, and the flowers so vivid and brightly colored.. Even the creek she sat next to seemed clearer, who wouldn't want to stay there a while and admire it all. Nia stayed for what seemed like hours picking flowers, and laying out in the dew coated grass listening to the birds song's. Soon Nia decided that she had better start working again, she picked up her basket and went on her way...
Soon she found herself at her favorite fruit tree, it grew sweet fruit called Ree. It's like a peach, and it was her favorite fruit. She smiled up at the big, beautiful tree, and stroked the soft leaves. She began to carefully pick the Ree from the tree, and placed them in her basket, careful not to squish the freshly picked flowers.. But then she got the strangest feeling none she had ever felt before, the birds began to stop singing, the crickets stopped chirping, all the cheeriness that she felt only moments ago was replaced by a darkness. She froze, her ears perked back, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.. She stood there for what seemed like minutes as she listened for danger, then she heard foot steps.. "Could it be an animal..? A deer possibly?" She wondered to her self "No.. it's different.. it's more than one. Two, three maybe." she thought. Then she heard voices, getting louder and louder. Soon she could hear what they were saying, "We're going to make so much off of our next catch, I just know it!" one cheered. "Hah, I wouldn't be too sure about that in these woods.. These freaks here are worth nothing." another said. Nia, still frozen, panicked she didn't know what to do. She couldn't move she was to afraid to turn around and face the men coming close. Finally, they had found her.. "Look!" one shouted. Nia spun around to face the men. She wanted to plead with them, ask them to not take her and sell her. But the fear stopped her from even blinking.. It was obvious that they were Hunters, each one of the men had a tail tied to their belts, and the belts appeared to be made out of dried skin. Nia cringed mentally.. One man had the tail of a white Leopard Hybrid tied on his belt, the other had two Horse Hybrid tails, one black, the other brown, and the last man, who appeared to be the leader, had one Goat Hybrid tail pinned on his belt, a Donkey Hybrid tail, and two long brown and orange spotted Cat Hybrid tails. "Well, well.. look what we have here.." said the leader. He was tall, muscular, and had long jet black hair. "I told you we wouldn't find anything worth selling, Esyrah." said the one with the Horse tails. He was slightly less muscular than the leader, but he seemed more agressive, he also had jet black hair but shorter. It seemed like he was realated to the leader.. "Ah, but those horns.." said the one with the Leopard tail, or Esyrah.. He stepped a little closer to Nia, smiling. He was a greatly less muscular than the other too, but had beautiful long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, and seemed way too cocky for his own good. "Yes, she does.." she leader said grinning. "She may not be worth selling, but those horns would." he continued as if Nia couldn't understand. "Well, then kill her and get it over with! I'd like to get back before dark.." the one with the Horse tails said in an annoyed tone. The leader pulled a large knife off his belt and slowly started walking towards Nia, still grinning. "I have to leave.." she thought. And she did just that, she dropped her basket, spun around, and ran. But the fear slowed her down greatly and the man tackled her, he sat up on her and spun her around to face him.. "I'm sorry, I really am." the man said without a hint of remorse. He held the knife above his head with both hands preparing to stab her in the forehead, but as he did she moved slightly and stabbed her in the eye instead on accident. She screamed in pain and in reaction she shoved him off her and ran.. She ran as fast and as far as she could, she could

EPIPHANY, 1937

The flowering sea and the mountains in the moon’s waning
the great stone close to the Barbary figs and the asphodels
the jar that refused to go dry at the end of day
and the closed bed by the cypress trees and your hair
golden; the stars of the Swan and that other star, Aldebaran.

I’ve kept a rein on my life, kept a rein on my life, travelling
among yellow trees in driving rain
on silent slopes loaded with beech leaves,
no fire on their peaks; it’s getting dark.
I’ve kept a rein on my life; on your left hand a line
a scar at your knee, perhaps they exist
on the sand of the past summer perhaps
they remain there where the north wind blew as I hear
an alien voice around the frozen lake.
The faces I see do not ask questions nor does the woman
bent as she walks giving her child the breast.
I climb the mountains; dark ravines; the snow-covered
plain, into the distance stretches the snow-covered plain, they ask nothing
neither time shut up in dumb chapels nor
hands outstretched to beg, nor the roads.
I’ve kept a rein on my life whispering in a boundless silence
I no longer know how to speak nor how to think; whispers
like the breathing of the cypress tree that night
like the human voice of the night sea on pebbles
like the memory of your voice saying ‘happiness’.

I close my eyes looking for the secret meeting-place of the waters
under the ice the sea’s smile, the closed wells
groping with my veins for those veins that escape me
there where the water-lilies end and that man
who walks blindly across the snows of silence.
I’ve kept a rein on my life, with him, looking for the water that touches you
heavy drops on green leaves, on your face
in the empty garden, drops in the motionless reservoir
striking a swan dead in its white wings
living trees and your eyes riveted.

This road has no end, has no relief, however hard you try
to recall your childhood years, those who left, those
lost in sleep, in the graves of the sea,
however much you ask bodies you’ve loved to stoop
under the harsh branches of the plane trees there
where a ray of the sun, naked, stood still
and a dog leapt and your heart shuddered,
the road has no relief; I’ve kept a rein on my life.

The snow
and the water frozen in the hoofmarks of the horses.

George Seferis
Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard