To the Daisy That Has Survived Even Though the Grounds Crew Mowed Down the School Land Lab Two Years Ago
Bloom!
No matter how low they mow you,
Bloom!
Show the world you won't be stopped:
Bloom!
Keep the memory of your former glory alive--
Bloom!
Send roots deep and runners long--
Bloom!
Bring joy to those who see your smiling face:
Bloom!
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019
I wrote this poem for the Ditty of the Month challenge that Liz Steinglass offered up at Today's Little Ditty. I couldn't believe my eyes this week when I saw that one of the daisies that had followed the daffodils and previewed the cone flowers in my school's (only barely tamed) wild space known as the Land Lab had survived...and BLOOMED! Like dandelions, it has adapted to the mower and was right down at ground level instead of waving around in the breezes, but there it was. Its spirit spoke right to my heart. This poem is for all the "daisies" who have to stay low, either below the mower or under the radar, but who refuse to stop blooming.
Margaret has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at Reflections on the Teche.
Wonderful! ❤️
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for the resilient daisy! Thank you for this inspirational instruction poem, Mary Lee. It's started my day off with a smile.
ReplyDeleteKeep blooming!
ReplyDeleteYes!!! What a wonderful surprise.
ReplyDeleteThere are miracles if only we look! Mighty Daisy!
ReplyDeleteI love that slightly defiant and insistent repetition of "Bloom!"
ReplyDeleteGosh, I needed this poem today. Thanks! I am taking up the refrain, Bloom! And, maybe somedays I might say, Bloom, dammit! lol
ReplyDeleteI love this! Life lesson, instructions, and nature joy all rolled into a delightful poem.
ReplyDeleteLove love love (and not just because DAISY)..."who have to lay low but refuse to stop blooming." Poignant. And look, now I can stay signed in and comment again, no idea how it fixed itself!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your philosophical bent today, Mary Lee. "Show the world you won't be stopped." and "This poem is for all the "daisies" who have to stay low, either below the mower or under the radar, but who refuse to stop blooming."
ReplyDeleteI love your instructions to Daisy, Mary Lee. I'm hopeful for my one peony plant that wasn't mowed down with the others last year. Hopefully, she'll do as Daisy did :)
ReplyDeleteI was going through a lot this time last year, and kept sketching dandelions on everything to remind myself to keep being resilient. This daisy got the memo!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I’m glad the daisy is a survivor.
ReplyDelete"And yet, she persisted..." Hooray for your smiling daisy!
ReplyDeleteYour Lab Land daisy (the day's eye) touches my heart, too, Mary Lee. Thank you for noticing it & for crafting a tug of a poem that says so much. It is exquisite, like this particular tiny yet potent plant. If you have time I hope you send this photo & poem out for publication. I am going to give the URL of it to my friends at DIG -Disability Interest Group. I think they would love to know about it.
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