(IMG) Book cover image
       
       I read this together with a loved one and was charmed.  The experie
       is difficult to articulate here, but it reminded me of being read t
       by a librarian in the children's section of Josephine County Librar
       Interestingly enough, Hope For The Flowers is kept in the adult
       section of the Eugene Library.
       
       I appreciated the cute illustrations and humorous language; simple 
       endearing.  The main characters are caterpillars named Stripe and
       Yellow.  They are drawn with beady little eyes.  Their surprising
       range of emotion reminds me of emoticons and other minimal symbols.
       
       My favorite line is when Yellow speculates "If i have inside me the
       stuff to make cocoons, maybe the stuff of butterflies is there too.
       One could call it a working hypothesis.  Or, one could call it fait
       hope, and trust.  Nomenclature aside, this line goes beyond wishful
       thinking because Yellow had the courage to act on it.
       
       The story seemed to be an allegory for the conflict between a mater
       and a spiritual focus in life.   The main characters gain temporary
       relief by dropping out of the rat race.  However, in the long term
       they are not satisfied by their happy little bubble.  Here they par
       ways, one returning to the materialistic path and the other embarki
       on a new spiritual path.  Invigorated from their respite, they are
       both successful in their prospective endeavors.  The materialistic
       path results in destruction.  This misuse of the climbing instinct
       was a cruel hoax on caterpillars in general.
       
       Butterflies are a classic metaphor for transformation.  I will avoi
       the question of an afterlife, but the metaphor brings two associati
       to mind.
       
       The first association is the song Following The Moon by Osprey, whi
       includes the lyrics below.  In the song, our hearts are beating for
       freedom, held in the temporary safety of this body.
       
       "We can build a cocoon together ... Somebody clipped your wings, bu
       listen how the caged bird sings, for freedom, can you hear it, it's
       your own heart beating."
       
       The second association is the book Yoga Lessons For Developing
       Spiritual Consciousness by Swami Mukerji.
       
       "It is quite necessary that we should pass through certain
       experiences, that we rise from ideal to ideal.  We create our own
       fate. Our sufferings, our joys, are so many projections from
       ourselves. We alone are responsible for them.  Like the silkworm we
       build a cocoon around the soul and then feeling "cramped," we set t
       loosening the bonds."
       
       The tale ends in the formation of a new "pillar."  Extrapolating fr
       the allegory, the materialistic path could be considered an inevita
       part of life, absurd but necessary for our evolution.
       
        title: Hope For The Flowers
        author: Paulus, Trina
        LOC: PZ4.P327 Ho
 (TXT)  detail: Hope for the Flowers
 (HTM)  source: Archive.org
       
 (DIR) BenCollver - Phlog
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