Mr. Love
Behind the roses was a forest that seemed to go on forever. He wondered how such a large forest could fit in such a small yard. Usually, when he found something puzzling, he would try to figure it out. But this time, he didn’t care. He didn’t want to be distracted from the peaceful feeling he was having.
Gazing out over the yard, he spotted Mr. Love, who was on the far side of the pool, surrounded by tomato plants. He knows I’m here, Mark thought. I’ll wait for him to finish what he’s doing.
Mark walked down the porch steps and into the garden. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The world around him seemed to slow down. His gaze shifted to the ground, and he began to notice the many tiny creatures living among the rosebushes. Ladybugs, praying mantises, beetles, and other insects were crawling around.
Mark found himself strolling towards the gardener. A koala sat in a tree above the tomato patch. She was munching on eucalyptus leaves and looking down at Mr. Love. Below the koala, a black-masked raccoon leaned against the base of the tree. He also watched the gardener working with the vines. Next to Mr. Love, a butterfly fluttered and landed on a bright red tomato.
Suddenly, it dawned on Mark that all the creatures were aware of Mr. Love’s every move. All the animals, big and small, were in love with Mr. Love. Even the blossoms on the plants and trees were slowly turning towards him, like sunflowers following the sun.