Urban Meadows

What are those things that bring us closer to health, closer to living more fully?  Today*s newspaper brought the story of a florist shop in Chicago which was created specifically to provide jobs for those with severe mental illness.  In warmer weather I garden.  It is no surprise to me that flowers may bring out the best in us, even grow us into fuller human beings.  Here is a link to the article:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-valentine-florist-20120211,0,5750000.story

She learns to stick with it

Longer and longer

As time goes on:

This woman who arranges flowers

For her life.

She has talent

Yes

Yet flowers

Give her reason

For living;

Flowers offer the entirety

Of what they are

To her arrangements,

Value displayed

In each arrangement.

There is little suspicion

From others

She has not arranged flowers

For hours and hours

Every day

For years upon years.

She learns to offer each arrangement

Separately.

She has talent

Yes

The flowers fill more and more of the spaces

The voices filled.

Now she is filled more and more

With flowers.

She has talent

Yes

And flowers.