this year our azaleas
are coming late
or right on time
depending on how
you might want to look
at it all
it has been a long winter
a cold winter
here at home
I love the colors
they give off
floating there
in the air, like
can-can dancers with
their skirts held high
their stamen legs kicking
freely into the secret
spaces of our hearts
do you remember
that each bloom has both
both male and female parts
stamen, anther, filament (male)
pistil, stigma, style, ovary, ovule (female)
then petal and sepal (shared)
and did you know that
there are two
types of flowers
imperfect and perfect
the imperfect ones are always
either all male or all female
while the perfect ones
have both male and female parts
I’m happy to report that
our azaleas are perfect, and I wonder
if this is not some hint from God on how
we are to each reach godly perfection
you should also know that we have
the bright pink and deep fuschia
electric magenta ones, whose colors each spring
sing through our home, a chorus of brilliant angels
Ron Starbuck
Copyright 2010
