in the ***** of the silver waves grew a single water lily speckless and spotless the colour of pure milk a private bud, it lay unopened till the night it blossomed complete, open, a whorl of whiteness! exquisite in its secluded state it pondered sadly on its fate alone – awash with an awful ache it looked upwards towards the great black lake so much similar to its own address with just one exception that made the biggest difference like a mirror leading on to a parallel universe another swirl of bright white flowered not alone but surrounded by many young buds! how wonderful thought the lily how cheerful that bloom must be to live thus accompanied by family so pining it withered feeling unloved, unwanted never knowing that from above the moon watched wailing “how full of life was that lovely flower alas! alas! how I loved her! never could I have the courage to tell her she - a brightness lit from within and i a mere rock with no light of my own”