“Wake up, Lil Lady.
Today we will plant
Droplets of sunshine
In the soil damp.”
“Daddy, these aren’t sundrops!
They’re dirty, white knobs.
Daddy, are they onions?
Onions make me sob!”
“No, they aren’t onions,
Garlic, taro, shallot.
They’ll grow up into flowers
With a golden yellow palette.”
“They’ll grow like me?
They’ll run and play and prance?”
“No, but they will smile
And in the breezes dance.
“Dig dimples in the soil.
Down in, they go.
Cover them up, give ‘em a pat.
Now water so they’ll grow.”
To the garden with her pail,
Went the lil lady
And gave her bulbs a pleasant drink,
Almost on the daily.
One day, Daddy said to her,
“Look, the leaves are showing
From the ground, sprigs of life,
Eager, glossy, growing.”
“You said that they’d be sunny bright.
Not green like boring grass!”
“Patience, young one, just you wait
A smidge more time to pass.”
Lil Lady watched the shoots
Stretch up to the sky.
She tended them with gentle care,
And surely by and by—
Tiny buds began to form,
Promising flowers soon,
But then, one night snow blew in,
Howling a frigid tune.
“Not my sundrops! Daddy, no!”
She flopped upon the floor.
“All my buds will freeze to death!”
And so she sobbed some more.
“There, there, Duckie. Dry your eyes.
Your daffodils are strong.
When the weather makes living hard,
They shout out: I belong!”
Next morning, Lady sought them out.
They quivered in the snow,
A wee bit weak and shriveled up,
But surrendered? No!
“Wake up, wake up, Lil Lady, Dear.”
Whispered Daddy next week.
“There’s a surprise out in the garden,
If sundrops you seek.”
“Daddy, Daddy, Daffodils!
They finally have come!
They smile and dance just like you said.
Kisses from the sun!”
“Brave enough to stand the storm,
And now in beauty shine.
Strong and lovely, just like you,
Darling, daughter mine.”
Gold in the Gray 