By Melody Nadal Aka Ody Munson

Painting by Horizons talent Maureen Villanueva

The painting that captures everything.
When I was a kid, me and hibiscus got a memory so captivating.
I’m opening its petals and inside it there is sweet honey; now I’m craving.
Its leaves and flowers, I grinded into stone.
Adding it with water, stir it up, voila, blow into the air, my hibiscus bubbles.

At school, we always used a hibiscus as a model to learn the parts of the flower.
Petal, stigma, style, filament, sepal, ovary, receptacle, anther.
Parts of the flower were perfectly explained if hibiscus was the model, way better.

Got to go, I want to gather some hibiscus, going to make bubbles, I’ll be back later.
I’m back, it’s now or never, I’ll put gumamela on top of my ear.
Have no fear, hibiscus gumamela is here.
I’m very colorful; if you’re sad, I’ll make you feel happier.
Happiness that I bring will make you live longer.

Thank you to the painter, my hibiscus gumamela memories will live forever.