Thunderation: Joiner 1997

On Being Gifted With a Daylily ©

(For Mr. Enman Joiner)

Gently, he touched the flower,
"It's a nice plant," he said bluntly,
But as his gaze lingered on the bud
And his fingers moved, I saw suddenly

That here before me was the culmination
Of years of trial and error and retrial
And pollination and labor to produce
A seed, and then the trial

Of that seedling he produced which grew
To be a specimen worthy of his time
And with care he nourished it and fed it
And encouraged it to multiply in kind.

Then here stood I —
And as he handed it to me,
"It's a nice plant," he repeated,
"Thank you sir," I said, "I can't—"

"Think nothing of it," he said,
And he walked away from gratitude--
But of course, I thought something of it,
and as I gaze upon it in my solitude,

I see him also in the blossoms
Waving gently, strong and bold,
And I bless him--
For he shared with me his soul.

Beverly Hearn Cook