The Orchid
I walked alone
On a dark stretch of imperfection
The road was pointless
Stumbling marked my hesitation
I found courage, tried to run
But darkness cloaked the air
And twisted vines mocked my despair
Dropping to my knees
I wished for strength to fight the
night
And clear the wood, to reach the
light
The prayer I spoke
Was little more than just a breath
But there it was,
An answer on my quest
It stood alone, the orchid,
Fragile beauty wrapped in might
And seemed to glow from inner light
I gasped and smiled
As through the darkened mist it
shone
Its unique purpose before unknown
The bloom was there, placed
perfectly,
And because of this bloom
I remembered me
Its beauty, both intricate and fair,
Reminded me of what I usually fail
to see
That we are magnificently created
things
I continued on that day
To purpose which had seemed so far
away
But the path was not as gray
The orchid lit my way
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Wagner
Bullying is a newsworthy subject
these days. We’ve all seen it; some of
us have even participated in it. My son recently
began to be the recipient of some ugly bullying behavior at school. Undeniably, it is one of the most
heart-breaking things to watch your kid go through. To have that once-tiny, bundle-of-cute you
would die for come home sobbing after you have sent him out into the world of
his peers is well, hell. Or something
like it. Differences aren’t often
tolerated, and the messages that life can serve (you’re too fat, not smart, not
athletic, not good at anything, or just plain not good enough) warp us until we
believe them. But they are not correct. We are valuable. We have purpose. I had written this poem a few years ago when
I was wrestling with my own thoughts on this issue, and it came to mind as I
have been traversing some rough waters with my son. Have you ever taken a good long look at an
orchid? It’s a masterpiece of artistry
isn’t it? But it doesn’t look like a
daisy and it doesn’t smell like a rose and it doesn’t grow like a sunflower. It is different. It is its own unique work of art. And so is he. And so are you.
Wonderful post my Shulamite...
ReplyDeletea great poem and a noble message therein;true feelings indeed;
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated wordwand!
DeleteSometimes something along our 'path' in life can be a great sign. An orchid definitely is beautiful and intricate; and each one is different. As is each person. Each to be appreciated just as it is.
ReplyDelete(Visiting from Poets United Poetry Pantry.)
Agreed, Mary! Thank you for commenting!
DeleteIt is interesting the things that can help us access strength enough to keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteIndeed--thank you for visiting my blog Danny!
DeleteOh I so love this poem and its wonderful message.....the orchid glowing from inner light.......the reminder of our own wonder.....your two closing lines are perfection. Love your notes afterward too, and hope the bullying of your son comes to a stop.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry--I truly appreciate your compliments on my post! And thank you for the well-wishes for my son; we have, I believe, gotten to the bottom of things. It's nice to see him smiling again when he comes home from school!
DeleteThe beautiful orchid lit your way in this writing too
ReplyDeleteKodjo, I appreciate your comment, thank you for visiting!
Deleteyour poem is exquisite and your message is so clear...every being is lit from within, beautiful, valuable, fragile and strong, unique. I hope things shift soon for your son and that all of your support will help him to see his own light, feel his strength and love his specialness.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you like it Laura; very nice of you to comment. Things are shifting for my son, you are echoing my hope for him, thank you!
ReplyDeletea splendid poem of encouragement and reminder of our individual ability to regroup, and go at it again.
ReplyDeletevery nice.
I appreciate your comment wild magnolia, kind words, thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, I love orchids, and have written of them myself. And I have a son who was bullied at school. ('Don't interfere,' he begged me. I did, and it stopped.) He is a fine man now.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly relate to this poem!
They are beautiful aren't they? I'm glad things worked out well for your son. Thank you for visiting my blog, and for your thoughts Rosemary!
ReplyDelete