The Gift of Flowers

By AC

A seed is planted in the fertile lands inside my mind.
I faintly hear it turning into a beautiful idea
as if, I heard a voice trying to speak to me
through time, through the distance
and through any obstacles that there might be.

But I pay attention to it and nurture it
until it transforms into a thought
with roots spreading fast;
Trunk, branches, leaves,
and then there are flowers, at last.

I cut one of those flowers and offer it
to a kind soul willing to hear what it’s about.
And I know that I can share any of these flowers
as long as none of them is meant to do any harm.

I give you the flowers that only grow inside my mind,
because I have the freedom to express
the things that I can only see with my own eyes.

We have the right to show the world what lies within our hearts;
The right to declare that we are alive;
And the power to show them exactly who we are.

 

About this poem: to write a speech or poem about what the phrase “freedom of speech” means.  

22 Comments

  1. Diana on May 8, 2020 at 10:09 AM

    The nature imagery you use is really beautiful. What’s more free than nature after all? I get the sense that you are a free-spirit with a strong voice that’s persevered through a lot to get to where it has. Freedom of speech is speaking your truth, the one only you know, and no one can take that away from you. I’d love to read more of your poems and see more into your thoughts and what your truth is.

  2. kassidilenae on May 8, 2020 at 5:51 PM

    I love how you correspond the idea of a natural right- freedom of speech- with nature. Your descriptive language makes it seem as though I am in your shoes, experiencing a new idea. Keep writing!

  3. Valerie T. on May 9, 2020 at 11:49 AM

    Great piece of writing! The last paragraph is really powerful that we as individuals have a right to speak what we are feeling and show that our opinions have meaning and power.

  4. carlos guzman on May 9, 2020 at 12:29 PM

    Hello AC,

    I want to congratulate you on a very beautiful poem! I really enjoyed the your choice of words to describe freedom of speech, and how we all have the ability to share our thoughts for a greater good. I particularly enjoyed the metaphors you used to describe how ideas are like seed and if you “nurture” them they are able to grow into creative thoughts (similar to a tree that bares flowers and fruit).

    Another theme I was able to translate from your poem is that of nature, how trees and plants are crucial to our existence. Humans are embedded into nature, we are in fact natural creatures, and it seems as if people in our society forget sometimes. This poem does a very good job at integrating the idea of speech and nature into one powerful message.

    Most importantly, I enjoy the idea of sharing positive thought because during this time of crisis it is very important to keep a conscious mind of others, and we need to be compassionate to one another. Times are very tough, so it is essential as humans we are able to create positive messages in order to ease tensions, anxieties and pain many of us may be feeling.

    Overall, I really enjoyed this poem. I am writing to you because I am a member of a community engagement class. I will be graduating soon from college and I have the opportunity to work on rewarding work like this! Continue to write because it manifests so many beautiful thoughts. Thank you!

    -Carlos G

  5. Ray Ryan on May 10, 2020 at 2:55 AM

    I think that’s really cool!!! I like that take on freedom of speech and the message you’re sending of sharing a flower to share the potential of what we are capable of without harm it’s very calm, collective and inspiring!!!

  6. Kayelynn on May 10, 2020 at 6:20 PM

    AC,

    Gorgeous poem. I really liked that you compared our thoughts to blooming flowers that can be shared as a metaphor for free speech. The line, “The right to declare that we are alive” stuck out to me as well because sharing our thoughts with others is a way to state that we are here and we have something to say. Phenomenal writing!

  7. Lucy on May 11, 2020 at 10:08 PM

    AC-

    I love your use of the thoughts being flowers. Not only do they grow and manifest in a natural and wild manner, but they’re beautiful. They’re appealing. They’re worth noticing. And yes, they are. Thank you for this.

    Love, Lucy

  8. Reyes on May 13, 2020 at 3:39 PM

    AC, thank you for sharing your poem!! I really enjoyed reading it. I love how you used the flower metaphor in this situation. I though you gave great attention to detail by correlating the beginning of an idea and the begin of life for a plant. Amazing job!! Keep up the beautiful work!

  9. Angie on May 14, 2020 at 12:29 PM

    I really enjoyed how you used nature and flowers to express what freedom of speech means. I think it is important that we all have something to say and are able to express ourselves. The line “and I know I can share any of these flowers as long as none of them is meant to do any harm” really caught my attention because it is important that we are all able to express ourselves and our opinions but it is also important to respect people and not cause harm with our words as well. This was a great poem!

  10. Abby on May 15, 2020 at 10:42 PM

    AC,

    I have never heard anyone use a flower as a metaphor for free speech before. I have read many pieces of literature that describe free speech as something negative. Before reading your poem I agreed with these writers, but reflecting on the meaning of your poem, I can see that freedom of speech is delicate, just as a flower is. We cannot be reckless with our words, that is where we go wrong.

    For freedom of speech to be attainable, we must recognize that, as you said, “we have the right to show the world what lies in our hearts” because voicing our thoughts is to voice what we have in our hearts, and that what we have to say is powerful. Words are not just frivolous, meaningless entities, they are strong and powerful, but just as a flower, need to be handled delicately.

    I really enjoyed reading your poem. I thought it was cohesive and well thought out. Keep writing!

  11. Nina on May 19, 2020 at 3:40 PM

    This poem spoke to me in ways I cannot describe. Our freedom of not only speech, but also thought, cultivates our life experiences. By “life,” I do not mean the textbook definition of merely breathing.. I mean the things we see, hear, and feel. The collective past experiences define us and it is our duty to listen. You showed just how much you have learned in your life with the beautiful images you created. The order you presented the events showed a slow process of growth.
    I thought this nicely tied in with your prompt of defining freedom of speech. Like a flower begins as a seed to begin life, words need emotion to have significance. I enjoyed how you painted the picture of flowers being in your mind. This really shows how your thoughts can grow into something truly beautiful if allowed to. Through these words, we can in fact determine “who we really are.” I enjoyed the ending of your poem and think it was very effective.
    In terms of any revisions, if you decide to pursue editing, here are some questions I thought of while reading. Why did you chose flowers? Did you have a particular flower/image in mind?
    What do you see with your eyes?

    Good work!

  12. HJ on June 19, 2020 at 6:24 PM

    This is a beautiful poem! I love flowers so the flower metaphor that you use is really lovely.

    “because I have the freedom to express
    the things that I can only see with my own eyes.”

    That is probably my favorite line and so well said!

  13. Catherine on June 23, 2020 at 8:04 AM

    I love the clever symbolism in this poem and how you compare ideas to flowers. Admittedly, I’ve never drawn parallels between the two before, but this seed is now planted in my mind.

    I find this to be a particularly relevant poem for the current events in American society. Freedom of expression and ideas is foundational to our society, and we must protect it at all costs.

  14. David on June 23, 2020 at 5:13 PM

    This poem here is a gift to anyone reading this, made me smile more and more as I kept reading this poem. Thank you for sharing the flowers with us here and applaud you for doing so. I hope this get around more and more. Spread some goodness in people’s heart, something we so desperately need in today’s world. I’ll do what I can to spread a few seeds myself. Thanks again.

  15. L on June 30, 2020 at 9:09 PM

    This is a beautiful description of freedom of speech. I love how in the last line of the fourth stanza, you talk about expressing things only you have seen and only you understand. I think that is so important today when it feels like people are always looking to understand others without actually taking the time to listen to their voices. It would be a great step for the world if we could all share what is in our hearts and react kindly to the contents of other individual’s hearts. Your poem is so insightful, thank you for writing it.

  16. Zach Phelps on March 30, 2021 at 2:34 PM

    Wow, I loved the symbolism you used of the gift of flowers and the seeds in your mind. I thought it was great to read your interpretation of freedom of speech. It was a beautiful example of how we can exercise this freedom through writing and creating art, like poems, stories, songs, annoying many others! The line
    “ I cut one of those flowers and offer it
    to a kind soul willing to hear what it’s about” really exhibited this freedom so well! Thank you for writing and sharing this, it was beautiful!

  17. aprile on April 3, 2021 at 12:14 PM

    I love how thoughts are being compared to a flower or plant growing. The power of our own thoughts and spreading those thoughts through speech is truly as beautiful as flowers.

  18. Julia on October 25, 2021 at 5:54 PM

    Wow this is full of so much detail and beauty. I like the extended metaphor through the poem about how you are giving us your flowers or thoughts. I think this poem is a flower and I appreciate it! It really is true that our thoughts and ideas are precious and unique! Thank you for sharing.

  19. Chynel on November 8, 2021 at 9:43 PM

    Your use of nature and flowers to illustrate ideas and freedom of speech is absolutely beautiful! I was completely entranced by your poetry the whole time and it’s a poem that made me smile. I especially liked how you “picked” a flower from your mind and offered it to a “kind soul.” That kind soul could be any of us here at Free Minds!

  20. Oshane on October 16, 2022 at 11:57 PM

    Thank you for reminding us that we have the power to show the world what lies within. The power to love and the power to dream.

  21. Ruby on October 31, 2022 at 9:47 AM

    Hi AC, this is one of my favorite poems I’ve read! The way you use a seed, a plant, and then a flower to follow the idea of a thought growing and then being shared is genius. It paints such a beautiful image for me. It makes me think of flowers everywhere with all the thoughts being shared all the time. I really love your writing, great job! Would love to see more from you.

  22. eleni on March 26, 2023 at 12:23 PM

    I love this poem! The imagery it creates for the reader is so beautiful and serene. Also, I love the last few lines, “We have the right to show the world what lies within our hearts; the right to declare that we are alive; and the power to show them exactly who we are”. This poem is inspiring. I love that the message encourages people to speak their truth and their mind and be authentic to themselves. Awesome work!

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