Daffodil

Symbolism: Sympathy, inner reflection, rebirth, new beginnings.

I was given a daffodil;

a single sunlit bulb made of velvet.

Holding the stem between my fingers I felt as though

I was holding the world.

Desperately wanting the flower to thrive.

For its petals to reach up high,

and bask in the wind and the light.

Humming songs as I kneed the soil around the stem,

the music feeding the roots.

Kneading the root of the stem into the dirt,

I felt as though I was caring for the world.

Despite the sunlight, the water, the tender love and care

It does not grow.

Instead the stem sags,

The petals wither and curl.

It’s vibrant golden face, bruised and brown,

As if each teardrop was spilt into an open flame.

This was my daffodil.

The only one of its kind.

Its bruised petals,

A thread for a stem,

Its curled and insect infested leaves,

This was still my daffodil.

It was precious to me,

Not for its looks or potential,

But for the time I spent trying to nurture it.

Yet with all my love and care,

It had been smothered and suffocated.

Gasping rather than breathing.

But it was still alive.

Against all odds the roots were healthy,

The leaves still received enough to keep going.

Against all odds it still wanted me.

I was given a daffodil;

A single golden bulb filled with so much promise and hope,

Yet despite being trampled

somehow it thrived.

But not with me.