Garden Variety Courage Poem by Jack Kennedy

A timely visit from an ancient vine
one planted when your world was young

it endured youths folly and was firmly rooted.
In due time this old vine did sprout anew

It smoldered beneath the peat,
and emerged to charge the air with springtime.

could you feel the changing shape of it's leaf
as it burrowed into your being?

Fear it not...though it has ferocious power.
Has it said its name, this consuming rage,
This creator of honest mortals?

This new confidence that becomes you
carries a sweet smell that surrounds you
And marks the ' coming of age'

'Tis your power to command, to tame,
And to conquer fear for the sake of truth
Grasp tightly that old vine when doubt arises.
Courage, Courage...is its name.