In 2009, my husband and I celebrated our 50th anniversary.
Unknown to me, one of my dearest friends, Fran Bromley, planted 50+ daffodil bulbs. Thank goodness my husband helped her, and amazingly enough, he also kept it a secret. The following spring daffodils cropped up blooming in our woods. What a surprise….and a gift that keeps on giving. Kind of like a great marriage.
So, this poem was written for Fran….
Thank You for Magic
There’s magic in my woods today,
Where fairy footsteps came to play.
In every footprint’s hollow cup,
A daffodil came springing up;
Then suddenly the rustic copse
Was bursting with their yellow “pops.”
Solidified sunshine here and there….
And I just wondered why and where,
And how and who had done this thing
To fill our woods with instant spring.
The blossoms are so fraught with life,
Each petal like a yellow knife
That nary a sound will ever utter,
Yet speaks of bounty thick as butter,
Creating art on the forest floor
Where nothing had ever bloomed before.
But the greater bloom is one that grew
In the heart of friendship, warm and true;
In the mind of one who would plot and scheme
To create an annual floral scene;
In the hands of one who would labour long
To compose – without music or words – a song;
In love’s generosity so sublime
As to offer the best of gifts…one’s time.
And, O, the surprise of the daffodils,
This year, unexpected, my heart just thrills:
No less the joy of the years ahead,
When, long-awaited, they’ll raise their heads,
Unfolding blossoms, bright and bold
Reminding me of your heart of gold.