A seed placed firmly in the ground
Lurking and waiting without a sound
The barest beginning of new life
Pushes through the surface with much strife
The first new leaf, a lime green shade
The stem shoots up, unafraid
A blush pink bud with petals curled
In the dawn’s morning sun they unfurl
Growing taller every day
With strong winds the flower sways
The flower chokes on smoky haze
A once dark forest now ablaze
The flower now a pile of ash
A memory, gone in a flash
Ann Richards
7