Hola Sober SEPTEMBER

WILD FLOWERS

MARIA MACKENTY

I am obsessed with wildflowers. I am living in the fertile farmlands of upstate NY Where flowers line the roadside and Dapple the open fields with Sometimes majestic Sometimes demure color I cycle down an old rail trail And am mesmerized by The variety in height, size, shape, color Yet there is no competition They coexist gracefully

None overpowering another I stop and learn their names From an app on my phone I catalog them so that I might Learn more about their nature And medicinal powers And I think of how alike we are

Strong, beautiful, persistent, survivors Withstanding heat and storms and The scars of getting mowed down By life and circumstances That cannot be predicted or controlled Queen Anne’s Lace, Black Eyed Susan, Spotted Knapweed Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Scarlet Beebalm, Common Chicory Tiger Lily, Daisy, Joe Pye Weed, Milkweed, Dandelion Susan, Linda, Ann, Lynn, Peggi Andrea, Shana, Yyvonne, Beth, Alison Mary, Lisa, Heather, Julie, Kathe, Lizzie Names of just a few Strong, beautiful, courageous, persistent Colorful, creative, tenacious blooms Whose beauty never overshadows another But compliments to create a welcoming radiance And like our sister wildflowers we spread We spread our seeds of hope, kindness Unconditional love, acceptance, honesty, freedom And a good old fashioned kick in the arse We all need each other to create the mosaic Of beauty that is reflected in wild nature We are the wild flowers of humanity

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