Torrance Journal for Applied Creativity

Cerulean Hero
by Karen Morse
I know a man who when quite a boy had the confidence of a hero.
And I will tell you his tale.
A lover of life was he, full to the brim and bubbling with joy.
Effervescent comes to mind.
He took many risks; adventure sought this boy.
His sky was cerulean, not just blue.
Azure, sapphire, cyan, cobalt.
Verdant grassy knolls, not just hills.
He saw all things with a unique view.
A hero, you ask? Yes, was he.
For this boy drank in the world with a tender sip that only a boy can do.
And he gave.
I will plant this seed, said he, so that shade will be on your shoulders.
I will play said he, so that you can rest, since you’re older.
I will help said he, so that your burden can be lighter.
I will create said he, so that the earth may be a bit brighter.
I will grow said he, to be a man of honor.
I will pray said he, so that I will have the strength to face the world who will not understand who
I want to be.
And I will pray for peace. Someone must.
And indeed, the world did not welcome this boy.
Who is he to drink, to plant, to create, to pray, they asked?
I cannot teach those I don’t understand.
I cannot play with a boy unlike me.
And the boy wondered.
Do we not all create?
Do we not all plant seeds?
Do we not all pray?
And play, like me?
And the boy learned.
And he grew.
And he tried to see blue like all the others.
And he forgot.
Cerulean.
Azure, sapphire, cyan, cobalt.
Just silly names he knew.
And he began to hate those names.
And he shouted, BLUE!!!
But somewhere inside, he knew it wasn’t true.
And so he thought, I must find that boy I was.
With bright hope he remembered.
I am the boy who planted seeds.
I am the boy who played and helped.
And he prayed, in his small way.
For himself.
For the world.
To plant a seed so that we may sit in the shade.
And his radiance was in full view.
That boy, a man.
A hero returned.
And he drank in the world with a tender sip.
And he gave.
Then he pulled out his banjo.
And he sang the blues;
Cerulean.
Azure, sapphire, cyan, cobalt.
Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. Albert Einstein
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