by Mark Lange
Member since:
May 18, 2007

Flowers are Red by Harry Chapin

October 11, 2007 07:21 PM EDT
views: 430 | comments: 128
Flowers are Red
by Harry Chapin

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.
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Comments: 128

Emma L. Oct 11, 2007, 7:24pm EDT
Great Lyrics- love the flowers
Vivian P. Oct 11, 2007, 7:24pm EDT
wow thought provoking
lynn a. Oct 11, 2007, 7:46pm EDT
THis made me so sad. Good poem.
Mark Lange Oct 11, 2007, 7:50pm EDT
Thank you! The real story here is the poem and how people can suffocate your creativity by forcing their opinions on you!~
Michelle R. Oct 11, 2007, 7:52pm EDT
Beautiful and so very sad.
Mark well done, great long poem but message is clear.
art is in the hand of the beholder, art comes in many forms words, crafts, photos you name it, love that little boy for he needs to be left alone to grow into a young man who see his own color & makes his own mark on life, shame - shame on that teacher.
10*
Wonderfully done. sadden me to think how much influence can dampen someone spirit.
God Bless
Sammie B. Oct 11, 2007, 8:02pm EDT
Aww...that's beautiful, but so very sad. :( Gave me tingles, though, so that's awesome! Great poem!
Judi F. Oct 11, 2007, 8:02pm EDT
Thanks for sharing this, Mark. Yes, sad.
Sherrie H. Oct 11, 2007, 8:02pm EDT
Lovely lyrics but so sad.
Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Oct 11, 2007, 8:03pm EDT
I love Harry Chapin. He was taken much too soon. My favorite of his lyrics is "Circle."
Harrel (Len) Phillips Oct 11, 2007, 8:05pm EDT
A good example of brainwashing.

Great poem, Mark
Kimberly Ripley Oct 11, 2007, 8:08pm EDT
This is an exceptional poem! It's sad how so many children are actually taught to conform and in the process lose their individuality and sense of creativity.
Tiffany G. Oct 11, 2007, 8:11pm EDT
aww.. thats sad! great poem though! Thanks for sharing
penni d. Oct 11, 2007, 8:11pm EDT
VERY
Catherine S. Oct 11, 2007, 8:13pm EDT
i heard this so soooo long ago.....as poignant now(even more so?) as it was then..



GET OUT THOSE CRAYONS>>>>And draw outside the lines!!!
Michelle W. Oct 11, 2007, 8:14pm EDT
This is a wonderful poem, but so sad that the first teacher was so short sighted.
Sherry W. Oct 11, 2007, 8:18pm EDT
How sad, but lovely.
Melinda ~choosing happiness~ S. Oct 11, 2007, 8:25pm EDT
I miss Harry so much!
Monique W. Oct 11, 2007, 8:26pm EDT
This is a very good peice of work. I like it. It seems a bit sad though
Roberta A. Oct 11, 2007, 8:30pm EDT
I feel so sad for both the boy and the teacher. She actually believes she is doing right by those kids to keep them conformed inside that box where she and society are.If someone didn't see those colors would we have our computers today? Look around. What else would be gone from our lives w/o someone with imagination. The most beautiful Easter eggs are the ones with lots of different colors. Sad, but wonderful Mark
TK Rosevear Oct 11, 2007, 8:30pm EDT
Beautifully done and unfortunately too true, we have to let children be children, letting their creativity and imaginations thrive... I personally had many 'teachers' control my being, in this way and it has taken quite some time to remove those "garbage messages" from my body, mind and spirit.
Thanks for a creative "wake up" call Mark :)
Janice Mitchell Oct 11, 2007, 8:32pm EDT
I hate the teacher won on that. Too often children are brainwashed into believing things that aren't healthy for them. They are free spirits just like us and should be treated as special gifts ; D
violentine n. Oct 11, 2007, 8:37pm EDT
ohh how i love this.....
Nancy S. Oct 11, 2007, 8:40pm EDT
It doesn't take much to shut down a kids imagination. So sad.
Swimming With The Tide O. Oct 11, 2007, 8:46pm EDT
Excellent poem with such a thought provoking message.
Terry Shaw Oct 11, 2007, 8:48pm EDT
Thanks for the flashback, Mark. I remember when that song was a hit. I really got sick of it. But with time, I actually grew to like it.
Anne B. Grote Oct 11, 2007, 8:49pm EDT
great message in this!
John B. Oct 11, 2007, 8:52pm EDT
it is so sad that people do not live outside the box. Those that do are looked on as not normal but that is where most ideas come from
Judith W. Oct 11, 2007, 8:54pm EDT
Harry Chapin was a wise man despite his young years. I enjoyed his music, then and now. It was always provacative.
Julia G. Oct 11, 2007, 8:57pm EDT
That made my day - thanks
Danielle P. Oct 11, 2007, 8:58pm EDT
I believe that is exactly what our schools want to happen. Stuff indiduality into a neat litlle box and be done with it. If you go against the grain you are labeled a troublemaker.
I say variety is what makes this a better world.
Heather C. Oct 11, 2007, 8:59pm EDT
I miss Harry Chapin. I saw him in concert at the Meadowlands. He was one in a million. This song is so true. He really should have had a wider fan base, he was one heck of a man, singer and songwriter. He had a big heart. I remember when he died, it was a shock to hear he was gone. Thanks for the reminder of Harry!
Barbara B. Oct 11, 2007, 9:06pm EDT
Don't ever dare do something the teacher
says ain't right! Terrible how a teacher can
warp a childs mind like that! Great read! I
loved it Mark! Thank you.
Just Me
Barbie
Jo C. Oct 11, 2007, 9:08pm EDT
I won an art scholarship in high school but it took THAT many years to get past the point of trauma that a teacher inflicted on me because I decided to experiment and color someone's face purple instead of copying the very carefully correct peach-colored face on the board. No one's face was ever THAT shade either, but no difference.

The teacher yelled at me in front of the whole class, convincing me I had no artistic talent. Then I decided to give it a try anyway. I've won plenty of awards since then. I forgive her, too, although I'll bet her soul is as conventional as ever.
sheila h. Oct 11, 2007, 9:16pm EDT
Hey! I knew that teacher! Had her in 3rd grade.
A nun in a flowing black habit,clinking rosary belt ,ubiquitous scowl and a metal ruler that she would smack into her open palm impatiently like a beat cop with a night stick when you didn't give her the right answer,HER answer. She didn't spare that ruler ,believe me! To this day, I can accurately measure fabric with my right butt cheek,such a great impression she created! In more ways than one. Nice lady! Finally a group of maverick third graders waited for the opportunity to right the injustices of the year. On an exceptionally warm ,early spring afternoon with her postioned closely to an open window,they pushed her out!
Ok,that was a very old daydream I still harbor. Me and about 3/4 of that class!
Elizabeth Madrigal Oct 11, 2007, 9:20pm EDT
Afraid every one of us as parents and grandparents has done this without realizing it. Children see things differently to be sure. Lovely poem.
Tracey W. Oct 11, 2007, 9:22pm EDT
That's like my all time favorite song! I bought a double album just for that song. Of course I do like Harry. But I thought the little boy was okay in the end?
Patricia I. Oct 11, 2007, 9:23pm EDT
wonderful, thanks for sharing
Tracey W. Oct 11, 2007, 9:26pm EDT
Hearing him sing it is really so powerful. His inflections are awsome. No, me? I'm not a fan or anything.
M. Bradley McCauley McCauley Oct 11, 2007, 9:31pm EDT
Illustrates how easily our young minds can be directed to think as the director.

I have seen the flowers, green leaves and red
And wondered to myself, what else the teacher said
Did she tell him wrong was right, or that he wasn't smart
Her words so easily could break a young boy's heart.

Mary Mc
Angela P. Oct 11, 2007, 9:37pm EDT
Harry Chapin had a lot of good songs with messages in them. Too bad he was gone
before he was able to share more of his unique wisdom with us. Thanks for sharing
this, Mark.
Tamra F. Oct 11, 2007, 9:38pm EDT
poor child....
Sydney Brooks Oct 11, 2007, 9:38pm EDT
Mark, a wonderful post. I'm an optimist, so I like to think that there's a sequel song where the new teacher convinces him to paint flowers with polka-dotted leaves and petals made of gold. :)
donna f. Oct 11, 2007, 9:45pm EDT
One has to wonder about Chapin's childhood. Between this, and "The Cat's in the Cradle" , it paints a pretty bleak picture.
Old Crow (straight, but not narrow) Oct 11, 2007, 9:49pm EDT
This is one of my very favorite songs! I am a teacher, and I love it when I see a kid thinking outside the box!
Matthew Emmett Townsend Oct 11, 2007, 9:50pm EDT
Ouch.....
Rita j. Oct 11, 2007, 9:53pm EDT
nice
debra g. Oct 11, 2007, 9:54pm EDT
wonderful but sad thank you for sharing
Heather W. Oct 11, 2007, 10:04pm EDT
Sad and yet true.
Kathy F. Oct 11, 2007, 10:05pm EDT
I was once a pre-school teacher and worked with one teacher that was like that first teacher. That is so sad that some can't let others think outside THEIR comfort zone. Very sad picture but all too true. Thanks for reminding me of these words.
Denise B. Oct 11, 2007, 10:09pm EDT
how sad to have been cut down by the very one who should have been building him up
Kathy F. Oct 11, 2007, 10:11pm EDT
orkut glitter graphics
Glitter Graphics

Here's a flower "outside" the box

orkut glitter graphics
GlitterGraphicsNow.com
carolyn m. Oct 11, 2007, 10:20pm EDT
to destroy thethoughts of a child like that is so sad but that is the way it used to be and depending what school you go to it is not much diffrent today
donna h. Oct 11, 2007, 10:23pm EDT
Good song...
Marilyn M. Oct 11, 2007, 10:24pm EDT
Sad words. And true ones, unfortunately. It's all about making cookie-cutter kids, kids who don't question.

Beautiful flower. But I kept thinking about how it would look dressed in rainbow hues.
Anita S. Oct 11, 2007, 10:25pm EDT
Very nice poem. We must not chain an artist like that.
necee t. Oct 11, 2007, 10:30pm EDT
sad, but true... back in those days... but its much better today...i hope...
Sheila Deeth Oct 11, 2007, 10:50pm EDT
So sad.
Jerri H. Oct 11, 2007, 11:05pm EDT
Wow....how to quash a creative mind :(
Maureen Long Oct 11, 2007, 11:14pm EDT
I miss Harry. His songs were never number one, but that's probably he was rather unconventional. His songs were about the way things were instead of how people wanted them to be.
Brenda (square peg in a round hole) H. Oct 11, 2007, 11:31pm EDT
That was sad.
Teresa W. Oct 11, 2007, 11:31pm EDT
That is just so sad :-(
Col. George W. Oct 11, 2007, 11:35pm EDT
Teach and/or force a child to believe something and that child will believe it the rest of their lives. It applies to everything from drawing flowers to phylosophy of life.
Pat M. Oct 11, 2007, 11:40pm EDT
A good warning.
Ron B. Oct 12, 2007, 12:03am EDT
Very well done. 10+
Robert - just a simple man - B. Oct 12, 2007, 12:10am EDT
Mark, read your PM first. This was an excellent use of my time. Wish I could say that about my whole day. God Bless.
Julie M. Oct 12, 2007, 12:38am EDT
squishing creativity makes me sad... great words~ thank you for sharing!
Marco P. Oct 12, 2007, 12:40am EDT
Great message, your poem reminds us that children are our future and it all depends on what we teach them.
Susan E. Oct 12, 2007, 12:41am EDT
I love that Harry Chapin music. It brings back some great memories. And your photos are beautiful. Thanks.
Lauren C. Oct 12, 2007, 1:32am EDT
Great song, pretty flower! :)
Bonnie C. Oct 12, 2007, 1:35am EDT
Awwwwwwwwww!!!
Tara T. Oct 12, 2007, 1:39am EDT
It's not always good to stay in the "lines." Thanks!
Nana Gill Oct 12, 2007, 1:39am EDT
Mark, Life is seldom kind to the 'ugly ducklings' of the world. Only if they have a strong enough character and can persevere does the world recognize their gifts, beauty, and service to the world. Many times those of less strength wither, die, and conform. After all flowers are red and leaves are green.
Lawrence J, H. Oct 12, 2007, 1:47am EDT
good work,,


beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
Steve *I'd Rather Be Geocaching!* S. Oct 12, 2007, 2:26am EDT
GReat job! Thanks for sharing this with us :)
vickie f. Oct 12, 2007, 2:31am EDT
Wonderful,thank you for sharing
Chip Davis Oct 12, 2007, 3:20am EDT
Harry was one of a kind when it came to songwriting. I really miss him. I never got to see him in concert but was a hugh fan and wouldn't miss an album release. I think all of mine are actual vinyl. I still have them. I will never do anything with my vinyl.

The song is such as sad one. You are indeed correct. People can suffocate your creativity by forcing their opinions on you!

Thanks for posting this. It's the second time tonight I had an opportunity to relive some wonderful old memories.
Jeanne O'Neill Oct 12, 2007, 4:02am EDT
I am glad that over the last 30 years teachers and pschologists are remembering that creative talent is personal and children can use creativity for a great outlet for their emotions.

You are so talented !!!!!!
Jon S. Oct 12, 2007, 4:42am EDT
Thanks for sharing that poignant tale, so very sad. [Loved the dahlia!]
Lela M. Oct 12, 2007, 6:31am EDT
That is such a sad song. I have never heard that song before. Thanks for sharing it.
Dolphi D. Oct 12, 2007, 6:35am EDT
Beautiful poem. Sadly, the pressures to conform pervade all aspects of our lives.
K S. Oct 12, 2007, 6:56am EDT
actually, I feel like smacking that teacher up-side the back of her empty head ....
Dee - Nature Babe! Oct 12, 2007, 7:01am EDT
How sad to stifle ones creativity. Even as adults we don't like to be told it is to be a certain way.
Ashley B. Oct 12, 2007, 7:01am EDT
Nice. I love the flower.
Linda G. Oct 12, 2007, 8:32am EDT
One of my favorite tunes. It brings tears to my eyes when I hear it. It is so true. As I watch my boys become teenagers, I long for a less structured time when they could be creative. I remember when they discovered caterpillars or picked dandilion fluff. These days they spend too much time learning dry history or text book impressions of the world.
Anita H. Oct 12, 2007, 9:42am EDT
I saw Harry Chapin in concert twice. Once with his band, and once it was just him and a guitar in the old Ohio Theater. He came to the front of the stage without a microphone and sang "Mail Order Annie." a cappella. Still brings tears to my eyes the way it rang so poignantly up to the cheap seats. His music and lyrics are timeless. Thanks for bringing this lovely example (and great message) back to light. I always encouraged my children to think outside the lines (of course, one is very left brained, and one is very right brained, so it worked half the time)! They were fortunate enough to have mostly creative and open-minded teachers.
Jeannie B. Oct 12, 2007, 9:49am EDT
I love Harry Chapin's songs.

This is a prime example of the kind of influence we ignore when it enters our children's lives. My daughter loved school and actually asked me what she was supposed to do for 3 whole months in the summer! Then came 5th grade; her teacher was exactly like the one in the song. After that, my daughter told me the only reason she even went to school was orchestra (that teacher was energetic, enthusiastic, and fair-minded).
good lyrics, thanks Mark.
your flower is pretty cool too!!!

*10*!!!
Leslie "Missy" T. Oct 12, 2007, 9:54am EDT
The teacher should not have changed the way he felt. This is a sad song.
gaelyn k. Oct 12, 2007, 10:43am EDT
Flowers are amazing and the lyrics make it a perfect contrast.
Kristin W. Oct 12, 2007, 11:24am EDT
Nice poem, but I suppose it shouldn't be critiqued, lol. It is sad that creativity can be stifled.
Sharon A. Oct 12, 2007, 11:26am EDT
Very nice. Good message too!
LaRue B. Oct 12, 2007, 12:04pm EDT
That is a wonderful poem with a message for all of us. Unfortunately there are some people in this world that feel that everyone should believe the way they do. I'm glad I don't feel that way. I give my children the opportunity to think for themselves, even if I don't agree. I makes me feel good when they come back and tell me I was right. There are some things they have to experience for themselves and if they fail, I'll be there. But, I refrain from saying "I told you so."
Barb M Oct 12, 2007, 12:49pm EDT
AUGH!!!!!!!!! This mad me mad actually - that someone would stifle a child and not let him be and see what he saw. It was so sad!!!!!!!!!!! I am a teachers aide at a preschool and we NEVER telthe kids how it "should" be done when it comes to art projects - we even did "self-portraits and one little blod boy made his hair black and you know what - it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sad - sad - sad!!!

Excellent job - cause you definetly tugged at my emotions!!!!
Juan J Martinez Oct 12, 2007, 12:58pm EDT
Beautiful write.
Jane Y. Oct 12, 2007, 1:05pm EDT
quite profound. Harry was a remarkable poet
A sad little poem. Your right, we can squeeze the creativity out of anyone by being negative about their actions.
Great poem Mark, thank you for writing this & sharing it too.
Jillian Alexis Oct 12, 2007, 2:50pm EDT
You have penned this beautifully Mark. Thank you for sharing...Hugz...Jillian
Alankrita P. Oct 12, 2007, 2:53pm EDT
Wow