Hey, Connector readers! Here’s a new Writers’ Corner piece, a poem called “The Garden” by Melina Barbuto. Enjoy!
The Garden
by Melina Barbuto
Bloomed from rebellion, grew to something lasting.
Consuming a life — five years in the making
Tiny and fragile, kept alive by tears and stubbornness,
Left to die in the cold November winds
Blossomed from fear, wanting to fit in,
Afraid that the choices were wrong.
A seed planted by others, forced into rocky soil,
Never to take root, never to grow.
Stemmed from compassion, protectiveness,
Teased and tortured, something familiar.
A sudden match lit the flame
The field burst into red — burning everything to the ground
Grown from Confusion, a choice to make
Whether to listen to the heart or the brain
It stood, wilted and fragile—
Until time let it blow away
Rooted in Silence, grown without knowledge
Already blossomed and flowered.
The most beautiful flower in a garden
That had been burned one too many times.
No matter how hard it was ignored,
To drown, to let it die
The plant grew and grew
Until the garden was once again green and beautiful.
