geo geller

February 20, 2014

The Time the Flowers didn’t Flower

Filed under: — GeoGeller @ 4:25 am

work in progress
Island & Land Stories
A View From the Other Side
There is a place, far away and yet very near… a very special place where dreams are made

“The Time the Flowers didn’t Flower”

most marvelous of marvels the most wondrous of wonders
dedicated to you and to wonder
by
geo geller

email: geo@geogeller.com
(story board for film or children’s book)
copyright 1993 ver 12993copyright 1993 ver. 12994 flower4.cx
– a work in progress –

TREATMENT

“The Time the Flowers didn’t Flower”

* it was a rainy day some time in May, not much to do except watch the
rain drops… my grandfather came into the room with a big smile on his face.
My grandfather was tall, stood straight and proud.. and I was his favorite grandson… I
was looking out the window when he came in and said, “did I ever tell you
the story about “The Time the Flowers didn’t Flower”.. I said no… knowing
very well, that no one else had heard it either, my grandfather wrote
children’s stories and I was always the first one he ever told… so when he
said did I every tell you the story about this or that I knew it was his way
of saying I have a new story… it was something special to both of us…

* he would talk with his hands moving them in what seemed like a dance.. I
once asked him what it was like to write, he said it was like trying to
catch a dream… I remember working in the garden with him, he would talk,
sing and play with the flowers as if they were his friends… My grandfather
could grow the biggest brightest flowers in the whole world… His stories
were a voyage in a world beyond time and space in the land of dreams…

* I remember he would pick me up and put me on his knee and run his hand
through my hair, he had big broad hands. Before he would begin he would say
“well, sonny boy are you ready” then he would tell me to close my eyes so
that my mind could be free to wander in the land of the imagination… My
grandfather and I were friends, special friends. I wish he was here to tell
you this story…

I will try and remember how he begun the story as he first told it to me…
It was along time ago… and that is how he began it… It was a long time
ago in the land of dreams where anything goes…

There once was a place where the people were so busy.. they were trying to
squeeze everything. they even had to make appointments to see themselves and
their children, who were always in front of a television…

* one day in what had been the month of may the flowers as they say usually
began their play… the flowers were unhappy and it was fair to say… they
had decided to go on strike, stop flowering… The flowers were very
serious and upset since everybody was too busy and people didn’t care…
they would talk amongst themselves, “why try and be beautiful and brighten
up the world if nobody cares” daisy flower said, “that’s it for me I’m not
opening up next year”, said the sunflower… well this was unheard of… All
the flowers couldn’t believe it, they had never heard of a flower not
opening up… “look here” the sunflower said, I’m tired, every year I put
everything I can to be as bright as I can be and what do I get, nothing,
nobody loves me, nobody even notices me or for that matter nobody notices
you either”… Well, the flowers talked amongst themselves and agreed they
were not getting the attention and care they need… they were going to go
on strike too.. One flower hung up a sign saying “closed”… the horse said
neigh and all the other animals said nay but the flowers said its the only
way. if people were too busy then so were they, that’s all that the
flowers had to say…

* my grand father had a funny way with words he loved to play with words and
sounds as if it was his way of saying something and making fun of it at the
same time. oh, it was a sad day.

* when the first warm day in the month of may came and went and the flowers
didn’t open all the way. the animals and plants stood up and looked
nervously at each other… but people were too busy being busy to notice
anything.

* a few days later, some children were heard to say to their mother’s,
“where have all the flowers gone?” but their mother said, “don’t bother me
I’m busy, can’t you see I’m busy!”

* the month of may passed as if it was nothing, the flowers said, see they
didn’t even notice anything was wrong? all the other animals were not happy
neigh (nay) neigh (nay) said the horse and all the other animal agreed, but
the flowers were even more upset as the month of June began…

* the June bug said to the flowers, “what are we going to do?”… in June
the bugs and insects depend on the flowers to bloom… the lady bug shook
her head and said we are doomed… the flowers said, “we are like you, but
what are we going to do?” and all of the animals and insects and trees and
everybody got together and agreed that something was very wrong, one thing
affects everything… the wise owl said… who who… the elephant said, “a
life without flowers is sad, a very sad life indeed… everybody thought for
a moment and wanted to talk to the flowers but they also knew that people
were not their friends and didn’t care about them either… and in the end
they agreed that though it was hardest for the little June bug, the lady bud
and the bees that maybe to wait and see what happens and agreed to have
another meeting in the end of June…

* the next few days some gardeners were heard wondering where the flowers
had gone? they talk amongst themselves and wondered if something was wrong
maybe it was too cold or maybe the flowers had a sickness… some children
thought maybe they had the flu, and then went back to watching mr. magoo..

* by mid June there was a little more talk, people were noticing that some
thing was missing, but they didn’t know what… they said it was the weather
or something or other and went back to what people do, as if it was nothing
but the flu… all the animals looked on nervously hoping that things would
change, but their experience with people made them even more nervous… it
was common knowledge amongst plants and animals that people only wanted to
see what they wanted to see. they could go on forever not seeing that there
was something wrong…

* after the middle of June a city bird reported people were starting to act
very strangely, but they still didn’t know exactly why… people who were
normally friendly were depressed and getting into fights.. toward the third
week of June it was getting pretty nasty..

* all of the animals were feeling it, and the farmers were waiting for their
fruits trees and vegetables to flower… nothing was flowering! said one
smart botanist… he announced that the flowers were not blooming, it was
carried in all of the television and headlines of newspapers around the
world… everybody started talking about it as if they were experts…
where have all the flowers gone?… what happened to the flowers?… The
flowers, plants and animals were not impressed and said, they finally
noticed something was missing, they didn’t even know what and why it was…
the farmers were the most nervous… some people said that it was nothing,
others said they could live without flowers, no big loss… the farmers
sounded the alarm, “if things didn’t change soon their would be no harvest
and that meant no food!… no food!…”

* NO FLOWERS NO FOOD! was the headline in all the newspapers… now that got
their attention… people could live without many things… many animals and
plants were already extinct, didn’t exist any longer… to live without
flowers was no big thing, some said, but to live without food!… that was
unthinkable, food they couldn’t live without.” everybody was talking about
it and trying to figure out what to do… not that they understood why…
the plants and animals just stood by and watched as they always do…

* everybody had a theory, people went out every day to look in their
gardens.. they went into the forest looking for wild flowers but there were
none. the apple,+pear, and plum trees were very sad looking without their
flowers, some people missed the flowers. the poor farmers were besides
himself… -+

* the flowers were sad and pleased at the same time, but still didn’t open
up… the June bug asked if the flowers were happy at the meeting in the
end of June… the flowers knew that not only was this hard on them it was
hard on all of their friends… people were now preparing for the worst and
fighting amongst themselves, still they were only thinking of themselves…
the flowers said, the whole world to people only means the whole world of
people… well, what are we going to do?… the owl said, who, and everybody
looked around and at each other and said what are we going to do?…

* the flowers asked everybody if they thought people had learned their
lesson… some said yes and others said no… the flowers asked if they
thought they will pay more attention to not only us flowers but to all
things… and everybody looked at each other and shook their heads up and
down or from side to side… the elephant said to the flowers… you have my
attention… The eagle said, maybe we have your attention and some peoples
now, but we have had a lot of problems with people for a long time… they
have thought only of themselves and we have stood by while they destroyed
not only us and our homes but they fight and have world wars among
themselves, and destroy themselves and their own homes… then he looked
over at his sad friend the condor who had no home to go to… the lady bug
asked nervously, what should we do?…. and everybody thought for a moment
and some one said lets test them… they all thought about it… it was the
first time they were in a position to do something… they didn’t trust
people they had been hurt by them.. the eagle said, “it was their home too
but people thought only of themselves it could be the future of us all, we
should be sure.” it was no longer the decision of the flowers it was all of
theirs together…

* let us not be led by anger, said the turtle..

* everybody had mixed feeling about when and whether to stop now before it
was too far beyond the flowering time and too late to catch the harvest
season in the fall… the flowers and plants said they would have to work
overtime but they agreed they could hold out a little bit longer if need
be… some said they would have less fruit but that was ok because it would
be tastier… but what to do and when?… everybody thought and thought and
the lady bug said to the June bug that they were hungry and didn’t know how
long she and her children could last… it was not easy…

Time the Flowers Didn’t Flower by geo geller copyright 1993 – page 3 of 5

* mean while some pigeons (city birds) reported that people were getting
more and more nervous … all the scientist were trying to find out what was
wrong, they thought maybe it was pollution or a problem with the sun or
water or something called ozone was heard… some one suggested that the
world was coming to an end and they all laughed and the flowers smiled…
everybody had a theory but nobody was close… the flowers shook their heads
from side to side and said they don’t know anything… their so smart they
don’t even know the simplest of things.. the flowers were not impressed…
all the plants and animals were tired of hearing how smart people were and
how they could do this and that and move mountains and build bridges and go
to the moon but the rhino said they couldn’t even see the nose on their own
faces… they all agreed and shook their heads… we don’t exist except as
part of their world… they put us in zoos and laugh at us said the
chimpanzee… everybody nodded their heads…

* the scarecrow said the farmers were getting more and more worried and the
little old ladies who had small gardens cried and talked to the plants and
flowers, maybe they were the only ones who understood… but nobody listens
to scarecrows and old people… the problem was that nobody listens to
anybody…

* the flowers were satisfied that they were missed and that people would
pay more attention to them, but the problem was now bigger than them, said
the flowers… it was now up to all of them to think of what to do… the
people thought about what to do and the flowers, animals and plants thought
about what to do… everybody was thinking like they had never thought
before… a bee flew in and whispered something in the ear of one of the
flowers and the flower said why don’t we send them this story… they all
shook their heads and agreed that was a good idea… but what are we going
to do now said the nervous lady bug… the spokes flower asked the sunflower
what he thought, and

* the sunflower to every bodies surprise opened up and was big and bright
like the sun and everybody smiled and agreed that it was time to lighten up
and brighten up… they agreed to end the strike for now but not before the
spokes flower said they would watch what happens very carefully and if people
and their children didn’t learn to be more careful and change their ways
they were going to be back and it would be a very black day…

* all the people, flowers, animals and plants gave a sigh of relief as the
first flowers began to open up and show their faces and everybody all of a
sudden changed from night to day and smiled they smiled so much their faces
hurt…

* the farmer was so happy he was besides himself this time with joy…

* some people were so glad to see the flowers that they made up songs and
danced and forgot who they were.. everybody was happy just to see the
flowers bloom… the flowers filled the air with a symphony of colors and
their perfume was everywhere… the roses, daffodils, lilacs, lavender and
even the daisy and all the flowers everywhere were happy… nobody could
remember the last time they were so happy.. it was as if they just woke up
from a bad dream, someone had said… poets wrote bright new poems,
painters painted flowers like they had never before… their were
playwrights and dancers who were inspired and when you walked by a flower
their were lines of people just waiting to see and smell… the lady bug
and the June bug were happy, as happy as could be, the busy bee was the
only ones who were allowed to be busy…

* when the little children’s book “The Time the Flowers Didn’t Flower” came
out… and everybody finally understood what happened, and that they were a
part of a larger family of flowers and plants and animals…

(epilogue)
After the Time the Flowers Didn’t Flower came out… most people agreed they
better think before they acted like that again… some adults didn’t believe
it and went back to their old ways, but the children knew it was the truth
and had started a campaign to protect their future… to protect innocent
animals and plants… to make sure it would never happen again… The
children wanted everybody everywhere to take care of our common ground. they
wrote stories to newspapers and television they formed groups to make sure
that adults who were in charge of businesses and governments were being
responsible for their future… They formed a flower brigade which cared for
and planted flowers… And if they found something that was in need of being
taken care of they would get together and form a group right their on the
spot and all the children and some of the adults would join them and great
numbers would come from all over the world and create such a noise that the
leaders of big and small business and governments would have to listen…
even the horse didn’t believe it and said (neigh) nay, it wasn’t possible it
was just a dream… and till this day all the people, animals and plants
remember to take time to smell the flowers, and have not forgotten the story
about the time the flowers didn’t flower.

The Beginning
dec 31 1992

copyright 1993 – Time the Flowers Didn’t Flower by geo geller
280 9th ave #20B NYC 10001 geo@geogeller.com

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

Powered by WordPress