WINTER GARDEN
Nothing’s coming up right now,except these survivors, called
perce-neige in French because
the warmth of their tiny green fires
can pierce the icy crust.
Right now, in this strange snowless
winter, they’re pushing up through
hard soil, aiming their darts at
the sun. See how bravely
their bells shake in the wind.
See how their petals,
the color of nothingness,
strike a chime for the missing,
the you who’s not here.
~Barbara Crooker
