The Real Reason Van Gogh Cut his Ear Off

Somewhere, slightly lost in France, he stops the car. Fields of tall sunflowers undulate in the wind, captivating him. Beautiful and useful; he grins, thinking of his ex-girlfriend. He reckons these must be farmed to make that healthy margarine she nagged him to use instead of butter. The plants whisper in the breeze, calling him.

With his phone he starts taking pictures. The contrast between the blue sky and bright yellow is mesmerizing. Scrolling through his snaps he remembers seeing the famous sunflower painting during a visit to Amsterdam, and how it moved his ex to tears. Inspired by the memory, he tries to get more interesting shots, walking between the tall slender plants that beckon him. ‘Come in, come in…’

The overwhelming smell is of honey and sunshine, reminding him of his ex when she came in from a run. He shoots upwards, through dark green leaves to brightly backlit petals. Taking hundreds of photos, he walks further and further, until he’s snapped away his battery.

His mind comes back to him and he runs the way he thinks he came, but there are only flowers, no car, no road, just flowers everywhere. The plants embrace him with their thick, sticky leaves. He looks up and the great sunflower in the sky smiles down on him. She has his ex-girlfriend’s eyes.