Eternal We Endure Like a Lotus in Bloom

Gabriel reminisced the silken kiss of a lotus petal. No, Jing reminisced the silken kiss of a lotus petal.  He did not know who he was anymore. He reminisced the forest of porcelain lotuses that inhabited an unkempt corner of the butterfly lair. Exuberant and eternal blossoms that marred the lotus ponds dotting the Celestial Temple. The wan blue blooms that resiliently weathered the relentless Tibetan blizzards, their stalks threatening to give way but never truly snapping. The solemn droop of the many buds that lined Emilie’s cold grey coffin. The lone wilted flower perched atop the well-worn yet sturdy wood of each repentance cane. The cruel concoction of sea water and shrivelled petals that housed the dormant coil of the punishment whip. A charred lotus for every fateful execution. Its ashes a tribute to all the unsung heroes.  The past beats inside me like a second heart. It trailed him. It trailed them. Transcending time. Like the lotus had.