The flowers are distinctive,
For each represents a friend,
Of very special beauty,
And I love each one of them.

 

Their specie doesn't matter,
Nor their color, nor their size,
Everyone delights me,
Each, a joy in my eyes.

 

Some are long stemmed - others, short,
A few have many leaves,
Others have no leaves at all.
And some, perhaps, are weeds.

 

Those with thorns are welcome, too,
Although they may cause trouble,
But to find a bud amongst those thorns
Is worth every bit of struggle.

 

Each bloom's a beauty by itself,
Though collectively, they're grand,
I wouldn't trade a single one
For all the gold in any land.

 

They're all of value to me,
They're all part of my bouquet,
They nurture and sustain me,
They get me through each day.

 

I never meant to let one go,
Though I have lost a few,
If somehow I could find them now
That's exactly what I'd do.

 

My heart is broken when one fades,
Or when one petal drops,
And how I ache if one stem breaks,
And its blooming has been stopped.

 

My friends are all those flowers
I have held in my bouquet,
They've added life to my life.
And I'm blest they've come my way.

 

One day I know they'll have to go,
And soon my time will also end,

One by one we'll disappear,
But ...  we'll all meet-up again.

 

In a more exquisite garden,
At another time and day,
Then my precious friends and I
Will become our Lord's bouquet.

 

Virginia (Ginny) Ellis
Copyright January 2004