flower

a flower grows in Haiti
hidden beneath the rubble,
reaching for the sun...
its face opening to receive the warmth of the day.

a flower grows in Haiti.
red, vibrant, alive...
it could have chosen a garden of majesty, delight
neatly planted rows of color bursting forth each day.
but no.
it has chosen this remote town,
the end of the road.
it sits among the rubble and the pain...
quietly it opens its colors to the day
for the passing walker,
foot callused with the hard rock
of a road traveled often
dust rising as the heat
whitens the day.

unseen by many who hurry on.
but
for those who stop and wonder
a gift is given.

and if, this day
the flower is unseen
it matters not.

for the flower knows.

Sylvia D. Campbell, MD
October 2001