She Let Her Flowers Bloom

She was a late bloomer in the love department. Her biological time clock had been ticking for years. Everyone wondered if she would ever get married. Later, she started to wonder that too, and about children. Education had given her some smarts, but only a beginning. Time ticked and her self-worth took a big crash into oblivion. Her only thoughts were of her childhood, punishments, and failures. Every waking moment was spent writing down the “to do’s” for the day. Remembering anything at all soon became impossible, after the accident. Flowers filled the fruitful trees and gardens around her. Laughter of children outside her window; she no longer took notice. Overcome and shriveled, her life trying to be good enough took its toll. What was she thinking! Every happy person she knew had a fragrant flower germinating within. Remembering her dreadful past must be buried; a new seed must grow. Before long, wisdom had evolved into a family. Laughter of her own children filled every room of her house. Opulent motherhood brought and gave love everlasting. Over her many years of parenting, she had two goals: Life and self-love. Many years later, she thanked God; she let her children, like flowers, bloom. NOTE: This acrostic poem relates to Debbie’s wise words that, “The important thing is that we live true to ourselves and cause the great flower of our lives to blossom.” This poem is about a woman who lived for others instead of herself, but was fortunate enough to learn the same wisdom that Debbie spoke of in time to allow her own children to freedom to grow and live through mistakes and success so that they were able to be true to themselves when they grew up. (I hope I succeeded at this, too.) Copyright January 20, 2013 Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen Written for Poetry Soup Member’s Contest: Words of Wisdom Sponsored by Debbie Guzzi