There was once a flower.
A beautiful, blooming flower
of bright pink and green -
glimmering in the sun.
He overlooked all the land
and smiled upon what he saw.
A tiny, helpless ladybug
had no where to rest.
She had been on a
long, tiresome journey.
She spotted the glimmering flower
from her home in the shrubs.
"Maybe he knows the way to rest",
she thought.
She delicately approached the flower -
she was wary, cautious,
its perfection could not possibly be true.
Did the flower even notice
her puny self approaching?
The flower knew tiny ladybug.
He had been watching her in the shrubs.
He knew where each of her spots
had come from.
He thought she was so unique
and wonderful - "she shines so bright",
the flower thought.
He wished tiny ladybug
would come talk to him.
Surely his petals would
bring her great comfort and rest.
The ladybug's tiny legs
carried her to the stem,
"Hello", she called up to the flower,
"Are you up there?"
"I have been on a very long
and tiresome journey
and would like a place to rest."
"Do you have such a place for me?"
The flower welled up
with grace and might.
He rejoiced - his petals shook
with utter excitement.
"Could it be?" He thought,
"Tiny ladybug has finally come
to talk to me."
He reached down and lifted
her from the ground,
higher and higher tiny ladybug
went until she rested upon
the flower's petals.
Tiny ladybug was so astonished
by the flower's beauty,
every hue, every color, everything
was covered in brightness.
But soon tiny ladybug felt
covered in shame,
"Surely I don't belong here.
I have lived my entire life in the shrubs."
"I don't deserve this;
I am covered in dirty spots."
The flower was struck
with compassion,
he wrapped his mighty petal
around ladybug's tiny body
and stripped her clean of her spots.
Then flower said,
"You have always belonged here.
You are always welcome here.
You will never be too dirty or
have too many spots -
I will never stop washing you clean.
You are home."
Tiny ladybug found the rest
she had been searching for
and lived out the remainder
of her years
dancing and rejoicing
on the flower's petals.
