Showing up

by Buff Whitman-Bradley / June 28th, 2020

Today my love and I
Took a long walk
In the wooded hills
Near our home.
The trails were muddy
From yesterday’s rain
And alongside them
Wildflowers of all kinds
Were blooming –
Shooting stars, checker lilies, lupine,
Hound’s tongue, paintbrush, blue-eyed grass.
The creek was murmuring contentedly
With fresh runoff
And we sat for a few moments
In a sunlit meadow
Listening to the water
As we worried about our loved ones,
Agonized for all those
Who have been laid off from their jobs
Or have had no choice
But to close their businesses,
And grieved for the thousands
Who have lost someone dear.
Yes, we thought, plague and contagion
Are devastating lives
And wreaking havoc
All around the planet,
And yes, we thought,
Like the medicos and grocers and deliverers
And all the essential workers
Selflessly toiling
To help us continue,
Beauty keeps showing up for work
In this bruised and battered world.

Buff Whitman-Bradley’s poetry has been widely published in print and online journals. He has a new book coming out from Finishing Line Press, A Friendly Little Tavern Somewhere Near the Pleiades. Read other articles by Buff.

This article was posted on Sunday, June 28th, 2020 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.