Flowers | Teen Ink

Flowers

November 2, 2023
By Anonymous

There isn’t a cloud in sight, the moon a slim crescent in plain view. The string lights twinkle, small yellow bulbs bright against the dark night sky. 

The woman’s heels make a clunking sound against the wooden deck. She’s somewhat statuesque, tall, slim, beautiful, distant. 

She watches the little girl run around the field of dandelions in her flip-flops. The girl snatches a single dandelion, holds it up to her lips, and blows the little white tufts off the plant. They twirl into the air, like little dancers swaying to an inaudible tune.

The woman thinks back to a time when she ran around so carelessly, wishing on tiny plants, resting her hopes on the floating seeds. She lets out a heavy sigh and walks back to the door, her tall heels cutting into her feet, leaving the little girl alone with her flowers.


The author's comments:

For this set piece, I wanted to create an image of a cloudless night and field of dandelions to start. A few sentences in, I attempted to explore how people change as they grow and learn new things. In this set piece, I tried using imagery to create a picture of the setting. Imagery is when you describe something using as many senses as you can to help a reader clearly visualize it.  Symbolism is when a writer uses an object, person, etc. to represent something else. To use symbolism, I tried using the characters’ footwear to create a symbol of the burdens people carry and how they change as you mature. One character’s high heels represent the pain she feels versus the younger character’s flip-flops. When you’re very young, your main concern is how much fun you’re having, how much candy you get, what toys you can play with. As you get older you start thinking about grades, your relationships with people, preparing for higher education and trying to be smart enough. Some people become more insecure and struggle with their own issues. There’s more pressure, and in turn more stress and worry, like small weights or burdens that get harder to carry. The piece is told in a third person view, focused on one of the characters as she observes a little girl playing in the field from her spot on a patio and reflects on her childhood. My favorite part of my set piece is the image that I create in my mind when I read the first few sentences.


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