A Poem for An Amaryllis

I want to write a poem about this plant and how wonderful it was to find it.

“I love this plant right now,” I shared with the Bean.

Before I could finish my thought aloud, the Bean jumped in, “Well, I guess you should marry it then!”

I burst out laughing, “You think I should marry the plant?”

“Mmmmmehuh! Yes, you should marry it,” a pause while she took another bite of her waffle, “but then, what would Dadda do?” Her sparkling eyes shone with her teasing.

“I think he would be okay.”

So here it is - my love letter to the new life emerging from last years decay.*

A Poem for An Amaryllis

organizing the grot room, she trips over sleeping bags

finding

milk stained outfits from smalls grown tall

formal daguerreotypes of family namesakes

lesson plans from 20 years ago

calling for

a full week of warm tea and attention

yet, Dragon is hungry, and

last year’s amaryllis jettisoned to the top shelf

slathered with abandon and neglect

peeks a pale almond life calling for sunlight and water

clarion bravery

*Shoutout to Ari from Zingermans for his recent Ari’s Top 5 on “Why I Write.” Number one on his his list is “Attention: Writing regularly has absolutely increased the attentiveness with which I move through the world.” I agree wholeheartedly with this. Bringing my observer (writing hat) into the maelstrom that can be parenting/the grocery store/reading the newspaper allows me to step away from being triggered (sometimes).

I also agree very much with this beautiful quote he shared from Anne Morrow Lindbergh, “one writes to capture and crystallize one’s joy,” to which I would add - and share that joy with the wider world.

Speaking of which, thank you for reading this, it gives me joy to think of my musings rattling around in your brain - even if it is only for the 3 minutes of your life to read.