Lichen was a normal town
No different from the rest
Bustling, busy citizens
Going from one place to the next
The buildings were rectangle
And some of them were square
Chimney’s billowed smoke by the ton
And smog filled the air
James sat atop a hill
Looking down on his humble city
“I wonder what I could do,” he thought,
“To make the city pretty?”
And in that moment, something strange
Appeared to him nearby
A brightly colored purple flower
He couldn’t identify
He walked over to where it grew
To say a friendly Hello
When he spotted a brown knapsack
On the ground by his big toe
He picked it up and looked inside
To reveal a mass of seeds
In varying sizes, shapes and colors
An assortment of species and breeds
There was something special about these seeds
Something magical, indeed
He carefully dropped one on the ground
And it sprouted immediately
It grew and grew at lightning speed
It took no time at all
To blossom into a towering sunflower
Nearly six feet tall
James walked up and down the city streets
Tossing seeds here and there
And in his wake the flowers bloomed
The smell of lilacs filled the air
He planted them in sidewalk cracks
And along the winding roads
In other people’s gardens
Right outside their homes!
He sprinkled seeds under trees
In the courtyard, and in the park
Wherever there lacked a pop of color
He left his floral mark
Ivy climbed the street-side lamps
Above the hollyhock
And maples cradled bright red roofs
That shaded every block
The people paused, curiously
Lit up with glowing smiles
“A certain kind of charm,” they’d say,
“I haven’t seen in quite a while.”
Although the change was for all to see
The biggest change happened secretly
Inside the hearts of the humble folk
A flower bloomed, a fire was stoked
James returned to the hill
Atop his blooming city
Taking in the beautiful sight —
The town he’d made so pretty
And though his bag of magic seeds
Would remain full forever
“Until tomorrow,” he decided,
“That’s much better!”
