avatarJenny Justice

Summary

The website content is a reflective poem and accompanying narrative that celebrates the beauty and significance of flowers, both literally and metaphorically, and their impact on human emotions and societal values.

Abstract

The poem "Here for the Flowers" by Jenny Justice is a contemplative piece that delves into the multifaceted nature of flowers. It emphasizes that flowers are not merely ornamental but are integral to our sensory experiences, emotional well-being, and the health of our communities. Justice uses flowers as a metaphor for resilience, beauty, and the importance of nurturing and preserving what we love. The narrative extends beyond the poem, touching on the challenges of recent years and the role of empathy and compassion in society. Justice expresses gratitude towards fellow poets and the community that finds solace and inspiration in the act of creation, particularly during difficult times. The poem serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life and the need to cultivate love and growth, both for ourselves and for the natural world.

Opinions

  • Flowers are seen as a source of joy and a symbol of balance in nature, requiring a variety of conditions to thrive.
  • The act of writing and sharing poetry, especially about

Here for the Flowers

A Poem

Photo by krystina rogers on Unsplash

Flowers are roots and leaves Flowers are petals

They are as fancy as they are functional They are as necessary as they are gorgeous

Not mere decoration, they are for all of us They spark joy

All of our senses can delight and appreciate Our minds, our souls, our spirits can shift

In the presence of flowers With the gift of a flower

With the thought of a flower All of us can light up

I have always been one to crave the rain And hide from the sun

I have always been one to notice dew With a smile

Flowers are balanced, needing it all With delicate care, with open faces

Flowers are lessons to admire They signal things, they signal Spring

They adorn people and rituals They celebrate the big and the small

Let me tell you, I am here for the flowers And flowers are here for us all.

I want to thank Tapan Avasthi and so many of poets for this beautiful, inspiring, and soul-nourishing week of writing about Flowers. I am not going to lie, as many of you know, wow has life been a wild and hard ride since oh, say 2020 set in. And many of us know a lot of this has been a long time coming, the rise in so many things that are just not so great when it comes to humanity and peace, when it comes to the greater good, when it comes to saving the planet and valuing life.

I will not get into those things, that history. I am a sociologist as well as a poet and I could indeed, go all day. But lately I have been feeling like: why? Why bother to go all day? Why share this? Why get into online debates over things, or try to insert logic or compassion into anything? So much has seemed to not matter at all when it comes to the age old issue of getting some people to care about other people. This is not a thing we can debate into each other, I suppose. It is something that has to come from a true and actual inner light that values empathy, compassion, active listening, doing no harm, contributing to the good of the community, the all, over the ego of the one, the me.

Why am I writing this here on my sweet little flower poem? Because flowers help. I think that is why. Flowers and thinking about flowers. The community of people who are flowers like Tapan and poets are for me. The act of creating something, like this poem, like poetry, in the face of wanting to just zone out and fret about the state of the world. All of this helps and matters. Flowers are here and I think yes, for us. And we have to be here for them. That saying — if you like a flower, sure, pick it, but if you love a flower, you leave it and let it grow — that is a major lesson in compassion. In not taking and grabbing for ego’s sake, for the I want it I want it I want it voice. No. Loving means letting what you love have all that it needs to be all that it is — to grow, to bloom, to show itself, to thrive. Loving means taking in the beauty of what you love with a smile as you watch it live its best life.

This being said, I love you.

❤

Jenny‌ ‌Justice‌, Poet.‌ ‌Sociologist. Teacher. Mother. Woman. Author‌ ‌of‌ ‌Love‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Time‌ ‌of‌ ‌Climate‌ ‌Change‌ ‌and‌ ‌Reveal.‌ ‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌read‌ ‌more‌ ‌of‌ ‌her‌ ‌poetry‌ ‌at‌‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌Poetic.‌‌ ‌‌Sign‌ ‌up‌ ‌for‌ ‌her‌ ‌newsletter‌ ‌‌here‌.‌

A few more flower poems by me:

And some poems by people/flowers I love ❤:

Here’s one by Tapan, with the directions for getting into this Floral Week of Poems, bless him:

❤ you Christina M. Ward

❤ you Heidi Franklin

❤ you Pierre Trudel

❤ you guérin

❤ you Tre L. Loadholt

❤ you Ashwini Dodani

❤ you POM

and ❤ ❤ ❤ too many more, all of you here, to name. Thank you for your poetry and hope.

Poetry
Floral Week
Writing
Peace
Nature
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