Monday, April 27, 2026

Roots Take Hold


 

"Consider how the wild flowers grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." ~Luke 12:27

I spring forth unexpected

A wanton, lowly weed

Adorned in yellow bright

Not the shade of cowardice

But of sunny survival

I bloom where I'm planted

And thrive against the odds

For I'm content to call home

Wherever God intends

For my roots to take hold

And when I go to seed

I am grateful still.

Amen!

Thank you, Regina, for your reminder that April is National Poetry Month.  I simply had to join in the celebration before this month's end.

74 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, Linda! The photo is one Danny took earlier this spring when we were walking in our local park.
      Blessings!

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  2. Beautifully said, smiles. Wishing you a lovely day.

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  3. I wish my thoughts were as yours. When I see my lawn dotted with those yellow "flowers" I feel anything but grateful. :) Good poem though.

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    1. I understand, Bill. Danny took this photo during one of our many spring-time walks in the local park. Since we have moss instead of grass in our yard, dandelions are not regular decorations for us. I'm glad you liked the poem.
      Blessings!

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  4. There is something very calming about writing, and reading, poetry. Nice one, Martha.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind compliment, Glynn! There is something so calming about the whole process, I agree.
      Blessings!

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  5. Beautiful, Martha! You are so talented and creative!! Thanks for the lovely pictures you paint with your words!

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    1. Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Terri! The aim of poetry should be to paint a visual picture in words.
      Blessings!

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  6. Thank you for featuring the "lowly dandelion" in your poem. It is an unsung hero that needs to be celebrated instead of ostracized and destroyed. Your poem is perfect and comforting. Thank you for sharing this lovely poem with us.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words here, Pamela. I, too, think of the dandelion not as a wanton weed, but as a beautiful wild flower to enjoy.
      Blessings!

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  7. What a great image -- alpha and omega.
    I've always loved the dandelions ... all those wishes! It sounds silly, but I still feel a pang of regret when they fall prey to the weed whacker.

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    1. I hear you, Myra. I'm so glad you liked the imagery here. Believe it or not, I wrote the poem a while back, way before Danny took this photo at the park. How's that for serendipity?
      Blessings!

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  8. To me, there are no weeds. Only wildflowers.

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  9. Martha I loved this a this is actually a better way to view "dandy"lions!🙂

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    1. Yes, Regina, they are "dandy" indeed! Thanks for being the one who prompted me to offer a poem before the month of April was up.
      Blessings!

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  10. A lovely celebration, Martha, of those sunshine yellow dots in the yard. Hail to the hardy dandelion, with life lessons to teach as well. I happen to like them (until their tall, bare stems stand forlornly above the grass. That's not so attractive!)

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    1. I've always loved dandelions, too, Nancy. I remember as a child loving to blow the seeds from the stems and watch them float in the air. It was magic!
      Blessings!

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  11. How true - I love what Luke said. I just look at flowers, and they just are so beautiful! Any and all of them. I look at Mackenzie and I see the hand of God. If you look for God, you will find Him.

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    1. Amen, Sandie! God is everywhere and in all things when we take time to look with open eyes and hearts. He wants to be found.
      Blessings!

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  12. Hermoso. El diente de león también es medicinal.
    Saludos

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    1. Yes, they are, Eugenia. Thanks for your kind comment.
      Blessings!

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  13. Wonderful poetry. Thank you so much Martha. And a great message too.

    God bless you always.

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    1. I'm so glad you liked the poem and the message, Victor.
      Blessings!

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  14. Replies
    1. Thanks, Jo-Anne! I'm glad you liked the poem.
      Blessings!

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  15. Boa noite irmã Martha. Deus é tão bom, que hoje foi a cirurgia de catarata do olho direito da minha mãe. Sou grato ao Senhor Jesus, por ter ouvido as minhas orações e de várias irmãos e irmãs da Igreja onde eu congrego. O Brasil tem muitos artistas talentosos, como em qualquer lugar. Um excelente noite de terça-feira, para irmã e todos os seus parentes na Geórgia. Grande abraço do seu irmão em Cristo Jesus, do Brasil.

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    1. So glad to hear that your mother's cataract surgery went well, Luiz! Yes, God does hear our prayers, always.
      Blessings!

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  16. Your poem beautifully shows how even the humble dandelion reflects resilience and God’s care.
    I love how you’ve turned a weed into a symbol of gratitude and unexpected blessing.
    Happy Wednesday, Martha!

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    1. Thanks so much, Veronica, for your thoughtful and kind comment here. We can find God's care and mercy in all His creation when we open our eyes and our hearts to Him with gratefulness.
      Blessings!

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  17. Love Danny's photo with seed head and full Dandelion flower nice poem too, God is so good to us, Shaz in Oz.x 🙏🏻 ❤️ 🤗

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    1. God is definitely good to us beyond measure, Shaz! I'm glad you enjoyed Danny's photo and the poem, too.
      Blessings!

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  18. How beautiful ...the dandelion and the poem!! The field next to us is so full of dandelions. I could make hundreds of wishes out there, but I think I would be out of breath by that time. A flower that is not wanted in our yards, but yet a flower that brings so much joy to many people..

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    1. Thanks so much, Shug, for your kind words here. This photo was taken in just such a field as you describe as it is a city park where we enjoy walking. When they're blooming, dandelions are everywhere along with buttercups. Such a dazzling show of yellow!
      Blessings!

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  19. What a lovely poem and image, Martha. Written from the heart, well done!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind compliment here, Bill. I'm so glad you enjoyed both the photo (which Danny took) and the poem.
      Blessings!

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  20. Poetry does not come easy for me. You do a wonderful job of it. I especially like these lines of yours:

    I bloom where I'm planted

    And thrive against the odds

    For I'm content to call home

    Wherever God intends

    For my roots to take hold

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Barbara, for taking time to actually let me know what lines in the poem stood out for you. That means a lot to any writer, knowing our words struck a sweet chord with the reader.
      Blessings!

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  21. Thank you for the beautiful poem, Martha - a simple truth, and reminder to bloom where we are planted.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the poem, Debra! It is a lesson for all of us and a great reminder that we are in the very place we belong, just as God intended.
      Blessings!

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  22. Eyes

    Eyes! Speaking in silent ways
    Of life lived and lost,
    Being born anew and dying again
    In a place of private wars.

    Eyes! Reflections of the soul
    Come alive as in a dream,
    Piercing the quiet of the night
    To awaken silence once again.

    Eyes! Piercing the thoughts
    Tucked away in secret places,
    Untouched for many long years
    But seen in a careless stare.

    Eyes! Shimmering windows
    Glowing with twinkling lights,
    Raging red with fire
    Or wishful as loves last tear.

    Eyes! Spilling over with life,
    Telling all they ever knew
    Of living, loving and losing
    Along this short bumpy road.

    Eyes! Loving, searching, caring
    For all they grasp or touch,
    Wrapping close a heart of warmth,
    A soul of deepest caring.

    Eyes! Filled with knowing wisdom
    Gathered in the cobwebs of time,
    Projected on gentle living screens
    Of blue, green or brown.

    Eyes! Those radiant mirrors,
    Reflect the beauty of life within
    An earthbound vessel of God,
    Filled to overflowing with love.

    Eyes! Opened to see, speak
    Of eternal life from within,
    Given to spread the joy
    My Lord has given to me.

    copyrighted

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    1. As I read your wonderful poem, Jim, my own eyes filled with tears of joy. What a talent you have!!! These are verses I will return to and read again and again. I can't thank you enough for sharing your heart and your insight with my readers.
      Blessings!

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  23. Another beautiful poem, Martha. You are gifted. Love and blessings!

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    1. Thanks so much, Karen, for your sweet words here. So glad to know this poem spoke to you.
      Blessings!

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  24. One of my favorite memories from our years as a friendship family to international university students involved dandelions. A girl said, Oh, I love your beautiful yellow flowers!”

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    1. What a sweet and cherished memory you've shared here, Diana! The dandelion is the unsung hero of spring, in my humble opinion, and not a weed at all. That young lady was so observant and spot on.
      Blessings!

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  25. Martha such a beautiful poem. My father-in-love adored dandelions because they meant nice weather was here. Thank you for sharing your lovely work with us. God Bless you. Hugs!

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    1. Thanks for your sweet words here, Debbie, and sharing the wonderful memory about your father-in-love, too. Dandelions are definitely the harbingers of spring.
      Blessings!

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  26. Thanks for sharing. Every month is poetry month for those of us who love poetry.

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    1. As it should be, Carol! I do love both reading and writing poetry as often as I can.
      Blessings!

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  27. Love this, Martha! Love and blessings to you!

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  28. Boa tarde minha querida irmã Martha, ontem foi a consulta de revisão, da cirurgia de catarata do olho direito. O médico oftalmologista que a atendeu, se chama Tiago. E ele disse; que ambas cirurgias de catarata, tanto do olho esquerdo, quanto do direito foram ótimas. Agora aguardamos pelo WhatsApp, qual será o tipo de óculos que minha mãe usará. Maio para mim é um mês muito especial, no Brasil todo segundo domingo dos mês de maio é comemorado o Dia das Mães. Só não sei se nos Estados Unidos é igual e também no mês de maio é o mês do meu aniversário. Uma excelente tarde de quinta-feira, um grande abraço do seu irmão brasileiro e carioca da cidade do Rio de Janeiro RJ.

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    1. It is the same day in the States, Luiz. Happy Mother's Day to your mom and Happy Birthday to you! So happy to hear that your mother's cataract surgery went so beautifully.
      Blessings!

      Delete
  29. lovely poem. I have continued my practice of writing a poem a day. To be honest, not every day but I do like the practice to keep up with it most days. It captures moments in life and offer reflection for me. I do like this line from your poem: For my roots to take hold

    And when I go to seed

    Now that one is a good one to ponder!

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    1. What a wonderful practice that is to write a poem every day, Jean. I sure wish I had your discipline! Maybe, that should be a goal of mine in the coming days. Thanks so much for highlighting the lines that spoke to you in this poem.
      Blessings!

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  30. Boa tarde minha querida irmã Martha. É tão, quando o Espírito Santo, faz morada em nós. Nem sei qual Denominação, a irmã e sua família são. Sou Evangelista, numa Assembleia de Deus, onde eu congrego. Confesso que não é fácil. Mas muitas coisas, eu entrego nas mãos do Altíssimo. Uma excelente tarde de quinta-feira e um grande abraço do seu irmão brasileiro e carioca da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

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    1. Entrusting everything we are and have to our almighty and loving God is what He wants from all His children, Luiz. My husband, Danny, and I belong to a church that no longer belongs to the UMC, but we carry on the beautiful Wesleyan tradition in our worship. Our devotion to serving our God and Savior is all that matters.
      Blessings!

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    2. Boa tarde irmã Martha. Dia 12 de maio, farão 32 anos que eu fui Batizado com Espírito Santo e dia 15 de maio será meu aniversário. Eu já fui numa Igreja Metodista Wesleyana na minha adolescência e numa Igreja Metodista na Baixada Fluminense, na cidade de Belford Roxo RJ. Um excelente tarde de domingo e um grande abraço do seu irmão brasileiro.

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    3. Baptized in the Holy Spirit is a gift beyond compare, Luiz! Here in the States, I attended the Episcopal church for years because it was the only one I knew. When Danny and I got married, I became a United Methodist. When that denomination decided that they would go "woke," our church voted to depart from that mindset. Ours is what we call a community church steeped in the Wesleyan tradition. That works for me!
      Blessings!

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  31. Bom dia, Martha
    Lindo poema e imagem. Que possamos florescer sempre! A natureza revela a bela criação de Deus, um forte abraço.

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  32. Thanks so much, Lucinalva! Yes, God's creation is wonderous, indeed.
    Blessings!

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  33. This is beautiful.

    I recognize how easily I start comparing or wishing for a different place, while this calls me back to something much quieter and deeper.

    Thank you for that reminder.

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    1. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment here, Aritha. I'm so happy to know that this poem spoke to you.
      Blessings!

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  34. Lovely poem. Seeds germinate with hopes.

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    1. Thank you, RTC. Yes, we are a lot like those seeds that grow because we hope in the Lord.
      Blessings!

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  35. Such a beautiful poem, love the message! God's gift to us sometimes comes in the form of a weed, and though many may not like their blooms, I do! I see the bees enjoying their blooms, and it is amazing all their health benefits! Beautiful poetry offering, Martha!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind comment here, Marilyn, and that you liked the poem's message. Like you, I love all flowers, even the ones that others may think of as weeds. Reminds me how God loves all of us even when we seem unloveable.
      Blessings!

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  36. Such a sweet poem! God bless you, my friend.

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