Why Not Blossom Instead?

Mayor

Indya Kincannon
[email protected]
(865) 215-2040

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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Read poem entitled Why Not Blossom Instead? for WDVX's inaugural show for their new series on March 22, 2019

By Marilyn Kallet



Why Not Blossom Instead?
The natural world is a spiritual house...

intimate as skin,
dawn, evening light, purple stars,
invisible poets whose voices reach me
through tiny petalled mikes.
I’m speaking with William Stafford again.

He says what I need to hear.
“It’s okay that you didn’t win.
Why hang your ego on that hook?
Why not blossom lightly 
from a pink dogwood?” Dutifully
I protest that I’m Jewish,
the dogwood is linked to the story of Christ.

“Trees are non-denominational,”
he laughs. He’s as real to me as this
bed of wildflowers, this late sun
a goblet of apricot liqueur.

A river of violets answers 
when I look for more of him.

I turn to the flowers for advice
an old friend might have offered.
An unusual animal chirps from the grass:
“So, your husband wanted this
victory for you? Whisper the truth
over him. Make corsages
of it, make mutual sprays
of untamed blooms.
Call the wildest orchid Losing.” 

From the book How To Get Heat Without Fire, 1996