Day 5 Silence as The Roses Bloom

 

But today is glorious!
Despite lumpy clouds filling the sky,
my spirit is alive,
my mind is abuzz with beauty,
I will not be dissuaded.

The stories of quick fixes,
River dunkings and
Stadium alter calls attract thousands.
The initial numbers look so good!
Alas, transformation germinates.
It picks around the edges until...
Gravitational pull,
Inertia
Takes hold and the outward expression
of the tiny seed appears inevitable.
The stories we tell: interwoven connections
everything was leading up to this.  
Yes there are those
"Road to Damascus" moments,
the result of shock and awe.
Direct revelation precedes great suffering.
The germination happens on the back-end.

There is a rosebush,
an anniversary present
outside our bedroom door.
My father's congratulatory words
As he planted it,
"well you two survived the first five".
I fought hard against metaphors  
when it struggled to take root.
There was not enough water
in this drought stricken state  
to prevent the leaves from browning.
We thought it had died.
We pruned it to the ground.

Despite our limiting expectations,
the spring brought
a resurrection:
Green leaves!
A single bud
slowly loosening its grip until...

Petals burst forth proclaiming:
"This is the day!
(This one!
Today!)
Rejoice!  
And be glad in it!"
Inhale the redemptive goodness!

Friday it succumb to decapitation.
The culprit?
A careless dog
single-mindedly
hunting tennis balls.

Meanwhile, these three remain
Faith: my assurance more buds will open Sunday
Hope: to find the perpetual rite of spring
in all things.
and
Love: raining like manna
gifts from the Father of all,
joy upon little joy
carpeting the grass with fragrant pink patches of abundance.

circa May 2015