Look. The poppies
they are at it again
exploding on the
hills with their deep
yellow flames and
supple hearts.

The tender green pines
the red manzanita
the wild iris, low and steady-
they all breathe the
secrets of the dark soil
from where the poppies came.

And they bend slightly to praise
the golden parachutes
who in turn pour themselves
joyfully, opening
without restraint up and
toward the sun.

As the black bellied poppies
teach with tender care
how to close up shop
daily, to forget what
needs forgetting.

How not to shrink
from these sanguine
spring hills
at the first sign of
happiness.

Posted by kind permission of Dale Biron.


Dale Biron
Dale Biron

Dale Biron is a poet, author, coach and adjunct professor at Dominican University OLLI Program. He is former poetry editor and board member for A Network For Grateful Living. His longtime friend and mentor, Brother David Steindl-Rast has long inspired Dale’s work with gratefulness and the power of grateful living. Dale has shared his poetry-inspired presentations at TEDx, The Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, as well as non-profit and business conferences nationwide. Dale is the author of a poetry collection entitled Why We Do Our Daily Practices. His latest work is a prose book entitled: Poetry For The Leader Inside You – A Search and Rescue Mission For The Heart and Soul. For more information, visit Dale’s Web Site. For more about Dale's on-demand eCourse, see:  A Fierce and Enduring Gratitude: How Poetry Supports Us in Good Times and Bad

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Nature
Poetry