By Philip Suzara
Pondering… as I sit here at the edge of my mythical life pond.
One can see many things happening at the edge of life’s pond, as in any pond. Decisions are made there, life changing decisions, defining moments… to get in the pond, or not. The pond is encircled by its edges in different forms and kinds: straight, jagged, rough, rocks, pebbles, sand, soil, or mud. Very much like people. No matter the differences we have, we all belong there… around the life pond, inside, outside, at the edge, but there.
We always, and naturally, relate and gravitate towards a song; with its words as though it were talking to us, written about us, and, actually, written for us. This is as much as we always have this penchant of attributing personality traits, or humanizing nature, objects, events, a place, a country, and even God Himself.
One song that I have liked so much since, I would think, forever is Skylark’s Wildflower. Originally written by then “rookie cop”, David Richardson, about and for his girlfriend who was an ER nurse, Wildflower has since become an emotional, moving, and iconic song from the early 70s. Skylark included Doug Edwards who laid music to David’s wonderful lyrics as joined in by many other renowned artists such as David Foster, B.J. Cook, Donny Gerrard and many other great musicians. Just a matter of mentioning some backgrounder about the song; there’s actually a lot to share about the song… so rich in its provenance but, perhaps, another time…
Wildflower has always been special to me in the sense that it was all about this special girl who has been through a lot and has remained free and gentle, bearing everything with grit and determination despite all the pains and hardships that has dwelled upon her. I feel for her - strongly.
Wildflower comes to fore again, this time with a newer context closer to my heart. I now liken her to the object of our patriotism – lady Filipinas, our Wildflower.
Imagine our beloved country as our Wildflower, she’s seen and has been through a lot of aggressions, and transgressions from foreign forces as well as malevolent despots from within.
Read on and feel the song with the anguish from the pained words it sings…
“She's faced the hardest times you could imagine And many times her eyes fought back the tears And when her youthful world was about to fall in Each time her slender shoulders bore the weight of all her fears And a sorrow no one hears Still rings in midnight silence in her ears” “Be careful how you touch her, for she'll awaken And sleep's the only freedom that she knows And when you walk into her eyes, you won't believe The way she's always payin' for a debt she never owes And a silent wind still blows That only she can hear, and so she goes Let her cry, for she's a lady (She's a lady) Let her dream, for she's a child Let the rain fall down upon her She's a free and gentle flower growing wild She's a flower growing wild She's free”
She is pained with always having to pay for debts that she never owed, with murmurs of unrest that only she can hear, holding back her tears and dealing with her problems all by lonesome self. She is now looking for the Eliases from amongst the company of our Juans - they all seem to be somewhere, but nowhere near in sight – not yet, anyway.
Our Wildflower remains patient in her silence - be still, our Wildflower is now asleep and we should be very quiet and take care not to rouse her from her sleep because it may be the only freedom that she knows.
My dear friend, Kahlil, disagrees with this and he would not let her sleep and sink further into oblivion when he says;
“They tell me: If you see a slave sleeping, do not wake him lest he be dreaming of freedom. I tell them: If you see a slave sleeping, wake him and explain to him freedom.”
Yes, we now awaken our Wildflower and tell her about the sweetness, the purity, and beauty of freedom that is within her reach, for her to once again grasp, embrace and hold on to.
Let the rain fall down upon her, shower her with your love, your affection, and your passion – give her the opportunity to fully blossom into the Wildflower that she is.
Yes, she’s a flower growing wild – and she’s free!
Pondering… as I sit here at the edge of life’s pond.
Philip Suzara
Creature of God. Child of the Universe. Global Citizen. Lover of Life. Freedom Fighter. Agent of Change. Lone Wolf. Occasional Consultant for Strategic Communications.
