Krishna stretched the larger leaf away carefully, not wanting to tear its delicate edge. He was after the smaller leaf nestled behind it. Too small to offer anything to the larger piece, but just big enough to throw off the composition he had built in his mind. He moved his smallest set of pruning shears into position and squeezed with the delicacy of a sniper pulling a trigger. Precision, not speed, was his current objective. His patience was rewarded when the subtle, slicking raps of the shears nipped the offending leaf away. The florist slowly allowed the larger leaf to resume its natural position before taking a step back to observe it with a critical eye. Yes, from a distance all he could see was the larger, welcoming leaf. No hint that another had been removed. Success.

Krishna brushed a strand of sweat laden hair from his forehead as he considered his next move. The combination he had chosen to arrange today was tricky on several levels. First, of course, there was color. Tiger lilies stood like open flame within the sea of powder blue hydrangeas, a contrast both of hue and shade. Then came shape, both in blossom and leaf. Long, tall, and thin juxtaposed with short, rounded, almost fluffy. Finally, the support mechanisms were unequal. Tiger lilies had only stem and leaf, while hydrangea bundle had a stronger, wooden base.

Any one of these differences would have proven challenging, but the florist gladly accepted the opportunity to flaunt his skills. The Four Elements, as clichéd a theme as it may be, was nevertheless the theme for the upcoming issue of The Arranger, one of the premier magazines on the subject of flower arranging. Krishna had never earned a coveted spot for his work on the publication’s glossy pages, but that did not stop him from submitting his work month after month. No, if anything, it only made him more determined. This time he was certain his design would get their attention.

He highly suspected that others would pick only one, maybe two, elements to highlight in their piece. That would be the safe, predictable path. Krishna envisioned a fare more ambitious design, one which featured all four in one breathtaking, comprehensive showpiece. He had no doubts in his ability to conquer the task. It was only a matter of time… and thought.

Choosing hydrangeas for water had been his starting point, as the support mechanisms allowed for different angles of arrangement than one would normally see. The flowers could look like watery pools, nestled around the bottom of other flowers, but the rainbow-haired man had instead chosen to layer them as blossoming rapids. Within their vibrant streams, instead of rocks, he layered three tiger lilies to act as bursts of flame. The effect was of fire resisting the rising tide, and that struggle was precisely what Krishna wanted to capture. Nothing stationary, nothing passive--such arrangements bored him. His flowers were not mere show pieces, but carefully groomed, living works of art. They needed movement, drama, and this piece would have it in spades.

With the flowers themselves decided, all he had needed was a vessel. But which to choose? Something long and thin? Something asymmetrical, for more movement? Fluted? Plain? Terracota, or glass? If glass, what color? This step had taken the longest, but now that he had the beginnings of the arrangement in front of him, Krishna was more than pleased with the results. He had chosen a spherical, glass vase with a short neck. Filled with dark soil, it perfectly encapsulated the Earth element. The short neck also allowed him to drape the hydrangea blossoms slightly over the vessel, as though the water were flowing in torrents. The vessel also allowed him to capture the air element. The glass was studded with air bubbles throughout its surface. It was the subtlest of the elements used, but he felt it was all the stronger because of it. It added texture and kept the eye moving across the piece. Yes, Krishna was proud of his design.

All that remained was to make it a reality. In this endeavor, he was well on his way. He had the vessel. He had filled it with dark humus. The first of the flowers had been placed. The delicate, time-consuming task of completing the design still lay ahead. Time, however, was a resource he had in abundance. The florist took a long drink from his nearby bottle of water before lifting his pruning shears again. A few more cuts, a few more flowers… and he’d be ready to pull out the camera.

That spot in the magazine would be his this month. He could feel it.

[Total Word Count: 785]