Neglected Flower

Here you stand
among these ruins,
a splash of color
among ruinous weeds --
neglected, yet
refusing to be choked out.

Planted by loving hands
of one who sought the
joy of your beauty,
you refuse to succumb.
The relentless onslaught
is but a contrast.

Crumbled concrete,
broken stone and mortar
pile debris around
your fragile stem.
you push them aside
with the power of life.

Your planter sleeps
with forgotten dreams.
Yet the mark of her hands
remains a steadfast testament,
an exclamation of beauty
among the ugly weeds.

Live on, little flower,
live on.
Thrive in the knowledge
that you were born of love.

Dallas D'Angelo-Gary 00