An Awkward Journey

My phalenopsis orchid when new, spring 2015. In 2016 it had twenty-four blooms.

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Can Flowers Change Your Life? XXI. May 15, 2016

How does joy come into it?
I count twenty-one orchid blooms
with three buds to go.  First,
I was too sleepy to write a poem.
Then Jane came.  She left her
glasses in the annex where we
listened to scientists translating
their coal ash research.  Jane’s turn
next week.  She couldn’t find 
the annex, drove right by it, 
finally stopped here to beg my help,
but I wasn’t to bother anyone.  She’s
happy I can be lazy once a week,
step back, and write a poem.  I
gave her one, adding the lines,
“Don’t worry.”  She loves my
poetry.  I told her I’d put her in 
today’s. It’s a calculated risk when 
you  knock on my door on Sunday
morning.  Wag gave a little bark
and went back to bed.  Yesterday,
as scientists explained their work,
and all the justice fighters listened,
I saw hope being born again.  
To hang onto the Spirit of Truth
can be an awkward journey, and
a lonely one.  Hope is harder than
despair, but once that candle is lit,
darkness disappears.

 

Our North Carolina Alliance of Carolinians Together Against Coal Ash, which met yesterday (October 1) here in Moncure at the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church to learn more about coal ash.