An iris flower, blooming gracefully against the wind, appeared in my dream. I thought that must be an invitation from Beihai Wetland. Gladly I accented it.
Therefore, in a sunny day, wearing waist-length hair, putting on a light blue and long skirt with soft and elegant hem, stepping into a pair of plain sandals, I attended that appointment for the Beihai Wetland and got ready for iris blossoms in the spring.
Starting from the county town by bus, I stepped on the wooden corridor of Beihai Wetland in about 15 minutes. At a glance, the wetland in the bosom of mountains rolled with green ripples and was caressed by the April breeze after sleeping for a whole winter. Ripples spread across the surface of water as if the carpet-shape floating glass stretched out itself with a yawn. The ripples kept dispersing far distant, accidentally hitting a sleepy boat, and the boat was startled to sway around and nearly floated away, but luckily, it was caught by a rope, and finally well stayed in the wooden corridor, waiting for somebody to step on.
The Beihai iris flowers were woke up after having a beautiful a winter dream and transformed into a purple ocean in April. Among fresh green leaves, it seemed countless iris petals rushed out their head, looked around with uncertainty and then embraced the sunlight elegantly. An iris flower had four purple petals which were like the wings of a butterfly, shivering slightly in the wind and getting ready for flying.
Someone said that the purple color was symbolic of a romantic dream. In this sense, Beihai Iris must be the spirit transformed by a purple dreams, silent and serene, far from the madding crowd.
In the cycle of four seasons, Beihai Iris finally chose to blossom in April in the bosom of the wetland. Standing between heaven and earth, rising over the bank, they revealed fragrance quietly in sunrise or sunset; their joy and sorrow gathered and dispensed when the morning and the dusk changed in turns.
How I wish to find a floating grassland, handle a bamboo pole, wandering along the water, to see where the fish and shrimp swim.
In the grassland, however, seeing that the Beihai iris is so light, so gentle, how could I bear to let their flower bend, so I prefer to stand on the porch and let my mind drift in imagination.
Imagined that I were a heron, leisurely landing in the sea of Beihai iris, and scented with the blossom all over the body. Occasionally, I bent my head and vanished myself in the ocean without trace. But soon afterwards, I flirted and flied up from a flower, making a visit to anther one.
When flowers blossom and fall, the silence dominated the sound. The voice of a flower was hidden in its pistil, but when the blossom period ended, its secret flied away from the stalk, and floated on the water. Picking up a Beihai iris from the water surface, I drew it towards the tip of my nose. It feature was still intact, with its fragrance lingered faintly, and its purple color, though fading, was clear to see, just as if one’s romance and dream had never departed.
Gently I put it in a gap of the wooden corridor, and the purple was perfectly matched with the wood, producing a kind of simple yet stunning beauty.
It was such a suitable place for weaving your dream. Why not find a space beside the grassland and build a thatched hut? By this way, you could glance iris blossoms of Beihai Wetland and appreciated fragrance whenever you want. It would be better to have a fragrant fruit tree planted beside the house, provided with a low table, a few drumsticks, and a set of tea sets. At weekends or leisure time, you could invite several bosom friends to sit quietly, enjoy tea, and have a small talk together.
And that might be a good life should be.