The Rebellious Flower Poem by Paul Hartal

Once upon a time there was
a beautiful royal garden in Chang'an,
the capital city of China.
Empress Wu Zetian (624-705)liked to walk
in the garden but fretted
that not all the flowers displayed
their radiant and glorious colours to her.
She felt that some were ill-bred
and disrespectful.

"How do they dare to hide from me
their colours? ", she asked once
her chief gardener.

"Oh, Your Majesty,
this is because different flowers bloom
at different times", said the chief gardener
in a humble voice. "And, as You know,
it is winter now,  Your Highness", he added.

"No", said the Empress.
"I  don't care what season it is now.
This is simply treason. I will not tolerate
such treachery and disloyalty.
The flowers are my subjects, under my reign,
under my absolute jurisdiction and authority. 
Therefore, they must obey my will.
So from this moment I order by royal decree
that all the flowers must bloom simultaneously.
They must show their colors all the time,
regardless of the season." 

When the flowers heard this royal edict,
they shuddered and trembled.
They were very scared because Wu Zetian
held tremendous power in her hands
and she was renowned as a ruthless
and cruel ruler.

Consequently, all the flowers decided
to obey the imperial decree
and they all started to display
their magnificent colors.
They all blossomed and bloomed simultaneously.

All, except the peony, "the Queen of Flowers".
She refused to bloom.

When Empress Wu heard about
the rebellious flower,
she flew into a rage.
She ordered to expell all the peonies
from the capital city of Chang'an
to the remote city of Luoyang.

However, even in their exile
the peonies continued to defy the Empress.
They decided now not to be depressed
but flourish and bloom,
even with more gorgeous and dazzling colors.

When the spies of Wu Zetian reported
the rebellious behavior of the peonies,
the enraged Empress ordered to burn
all of them.

Nevertheless, in the following year
all the peonies bloomed again across China
with glowing and radiant petals.