Ode

An ode is a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode. You can write an ode to just about anything: your mother, happiness, toast, or a pair of old socks. Think about what you might want to write an ode about. Write down everything that you can think of about your topic. Try to come up with strong descriptive words that make clear images (colors, shapes, smells, tastes, sounds, and emotions). Don’t worry about writing complete sentences or paragraphs, just let the ideas flow out of you.

I think I'll do an ode on kites. As I go through the other disparate and disjunctive objects, places, ideas, or people I can think of, "kites" seems like the most resolute thing to write about. And now that I've got that decided, I don't think I'll reconsider. Kites it is.

I went to a park in Tainan over the Chinese New Year break, and I saw quite a number of people flying kites (the winds were appealing for kite flying that day). Kite vendors sold different kinds of kites, which they flew over their stands - there were dragons, box kites, traditional kites, slender kites, brightly colored kites, dark colored ones, ones with very long tails, others with shorter ones.
Then there were the children, young couples, and families who were flying theirs' over the afternoon zephyr, and if one inhaled deeply he/she would smell the scent of cut grass, the faint saltiness of the ocean, and the wafting scent of sausages from the nearby vendors. It was magnificent, watching the kites flying. The colors, the way in which they flew, all seemed aesthetically pleasing. I sat onto a marble bench beneath a tree's shade and looked up to the sky. A multitude of kites hung in the oh-so-light blue sky dotted with a few clouds, their tails rippling gently against the winds. Across the park, dogs, children, families, and young couples enjoyed each others' company.
Occasionally a kite would abruptly crash to the ground; a child would watch sadly as their kite's string slipped out of their grasp and flew away; or the kite would be a stubborn one, refusing to lift off the ground. I wondered how the kites could represent ones dreams; how sometimes they fail, but under the right conditions they can be cast out and flown.