Sacred

I

On a desert’s burning sands, a child
who has no people, one who was orphaned
long ago, sits, surviving on fruit that grows
from a mound of sand and water left for her
from three different peoples. She is the sole
life on this piece of earth, growing
where nothing else can grow. Her life here
began from the suffering of the three peoples
whose water she lives on. These people’s suffering
started with an orchid that grew alone
in this desert, rising towards the sun
for the sustenance of light.

The three different peoples surrounded the desert,
each one believing themselves sacred
to a certain element. At sunrise, a man
of the people of the Star crossed the sand
and saw the orchid growing, where nothing
else can grow and said “In this orchid, this sole life
within this desert, I can see my people’s Star.
Its design can be seen outlined within
the plant’s roots. For this reason, it is sacred
to my people and therefore, I will praise
it.” And the man watered the flower’s roots
to help it to survive.

At noon, a woman
of the people of the Sacrifice crossed the sand
and saw the orchid growing, where nothing
else can grow and said “In this orchid, this sole life
within this desert, I can see the color of the blood
of my people’s Sacrifice. Its shade can be seen within
the plant’s petals. For this reason, it is sacred
to my people and therefore, I will praise
it.” And the woman watered the flower’s petals
to help it to survive.

At dusk, an elder
of the people of the Moon crossed the sand
and saw the orchid growing, where nothing
else can grow and said “In this orchid, this sole life
within this desert, I can see my people’s Moon.
Its shape can be seen within
the bud of the plant. For this reason, it is sacred
to my people and therefore, I will praise
it.” And the elder watered the flower’s bud
to help it to survive.

II

Each person of each faith
told their people of the flower
and how it represented their worshipped
element. All the three peoples decided
that they should go and make a holy
pilgrimage to the orchid. The journey
of each one was planned for sunrise
on the same day.

And so, all of the peoples crossed the desert,
and did not stop walking, even for water,
till they reached the orchid. All water
was to be offered to the holy orchid in praise.
Once they came to the plant, they formed
a trinity of peoples and elements. Realizing that
there were other peoples that they had not known
existed, they questioned each other’s presence
at this flower.

“We are here,” said the man from the people
of the Star, “because this orchid is sacred
to us. Our Star’s design can clearly
be seen within the flower’s roots.”

“It is not sacred to you,” said the woman
from the people of the Sacrifice, “It is sacred
to us. The shade of our Sacrifice’s blood can clearly
be seen within the color of the flower’s petals.”

“You are both wrong,” said the elder from the people
of the Moon, “The orchid is only sacred
to us. Our Moon’s shape can clearly
be seen with the flower’s bud.”

And so, the peoples continued to argue
of who the plant was sacred to and who was worthy
to praise it. Their arguments turned into fights,
fights became battles, battles grew into wars,
and they began to neglect the holy orchid. For three days
the peoples suffered amongst each other, causing the flower
to also suffer, and finally the plant, the sole
life that used to exist within this desert, died
and no one noticed.

III

As the peoples battled, the child
who lives here now, crossed the sands,
entering the desert for her first time, saw
the dead orchid and said, “In this orchid, I can see
the suffering of all the peoples. The tragedy
of their suffering can clearly be seen within
its death. For this reason, it is sacred
to all.”

The fighting halted
abruptly. Everyone had heard
the child, and everyone now saw
that the once holy plant was dead.
The child picked the flower from the burning
earth, soaked it within the water
of each of the peoples, and then buried
it under the ground. All of the peoples
went back to their own land, leaving
the child to live in the desert,
surviving on the rest of their water,
and the fruit which was born
from the orchid’s death.

She is now the sole life in this desert,
growing where nothing else can grow.
She remains here as a reminder
that nothing is sacred to just one,
but that everything is sacred to all.