Taproots
(For Betty)
The cruelest winter can't suppress a flower.
Forgotten bulbs burst through--a vibrant blaze
that pierces frost-scarred earth with sudden power.
As snow retreats in deference to the rays
of warm caressing sun on softened earth;
so too, your soul emerged from its cold hell
to dance the sacred cycle of rebirth.
You sank your taproots deep into the well
and gathered strength and nourishment to feed
a slender hope. You sheltered it with care
from wind and rain. A single tender leaf
unfurled, triumphant in crisp April air.
You fill your garden, bulbs in every space
each flower curled inside a gift of grace.
12/4/01