“REFLECTIVE HEART” by Iris Mackenzie

Love is patient. That means even though you’re younger and you take a season to sprout your head up through the soil and finally notice me, I have to wait for it.

Love is kind and is not jealous. So I have to temper my feelings when I see other ferns unfurling towards you, trying to gain your attention, parading their leaves in front of you.

Love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly. Is it wrong, then, when I stretch up to my entire dozens of inches and try to reach the sun—to show you that I can—or at least can try—perhaps I am trying too hard…

It does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. When the rain pours down and I’m all along, shivering, stem trembling, and you don’t notice… it don’t matter! Right…?

Does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. When the god of truth lugs that gigantic ball of flame across the sky, I rejoice. You’ve seen me rejoice! I absolutely nearly break my stem of a neck trying to crane my leaves up high there and rejoice.

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. A chipmunk nibbled on me yesterday. A rabbit relieved itself. All this time, I was just happy it had not done the same to you.

Love never fails… but not faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

~Angreek87