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The park bench was deserted
as I sat down to read Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree
Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown
For the world was intent on dragging me down And if that weren't enough to ruin
my day
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play He stood right
before me with his head tilted down And said with great excitement,” Look what I
found"
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight With its petals all worn -
not enough rain, or too little light Wanting him to take his dead flower and go
off to play I faked a small smile and then shifted away But instead of
retreating he sat next to my side And placed the flower to his nose And declared
with overacted surprise "It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too
That's why I picked it; here, it's for you The weed before me was dying or dead
Not vibrant of colors: orange, yellow or red But I knew I must take it, or he
might never leave
So I reached for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need But instead of him
placing the flower in my hand He held it mid-air without reason or plan It was
then that I noticed for the very first time That weed-toting boy could not see:
he was blind I heard my voice quiver; tears shone in the sun As I thanked him
for picking the very best one "You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to
play Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see A self-pitying woman beneath an
old willow tree How did he know of my self-indulged plight Perhaps from his
heart, he'd been blessed with true sight Through the eyes of a blind child, at
last I could see The problem was not with the world; the problem was me And for
all of those times I myself had been blind I vowed to see the beauty in life And
appreciate every second that's mine And then I held that wilted flower up to my
nose And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose And smiled as I watched
that young boy Another weed in his hand About to change the life of an
unsuspecting old man
" Some people complain because GOD put thorns on roses,
While others praise HIM for putting roses among thorns."
--- Anonymous --- Contributed by Annice LeGrande ---
Maryland
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