our betters

 

blood root in blossom

so much depends on a bloodroot in blossom. . .

so far we usually only get to the Smokies

when it's convenient to our schedule,

wildflowers have their own schedule,

today we were blessed with an intersection of the two schedules,

two bloodroot held off while their peers flowered

and opened for us today,

many other wildflowers joined them,

yellow and white trillium, miterwort, violet, 

and more and more,

I often feel like I am a lesser entity

and that the blood root are my betters,

I love it when they open,

and I can be around,

I am sad when I realize

the peak of their show was two weeks ago.

by Henry H. Walker

April 2, ‘25