Lilies, Lilacs And Lotus Leaves Poem by Saiom Shriver

He has turned
bloody warfields gory
into climbing violet
morning glories

Grows out of slime
the blossom of the lime
so does every obstacle
turn to beauty.. in time

Out of the tiny acorn
10,000 oak forests
can be born
So the universe all
is contained in the small

The bee alights
in morning light
buzzing
'go not for the
sour but the sweet'.

Windscattered, the milkweed
... now ripe in seed
.. so do angels
send forth your beliefs.

The radiant butterfly reminds
she went from
crawling to pure flight
without having
to walk up stairflights

Rhododendron
can grow 90 or more
feet tall
in India and Nepal
.. left to be themselves
children small
grow
in spirit tall

The bamboo was bored by
beetles.. through her holes
the wind played a symphony
.. so does our pain
turn to music.

Through the bullet hole
in the wall
in pours the sun.

The peony bud is sometimes opened
with the help of ants
.. the most rejected.. are
our greatest helpers
when we think we can't

Dandelions: how cheerful they
are with sunny faces
in the midst of those
who unjustly hate them

The buttercup holds the
dew and sunup
in her lemon colored cup
To her chalice of love
bees come to sup.

To his parent plant
the branch of honeysuckle
needs no ties..
no external buckles
so are we always connected
to God's thoughts
whether we do
know it or not.

The lotus on the surface
of water whispers
... be in the world
and not of it

while speaks the rose
where she grows:
the cross of suffering
is now joy's dynamo

It is the lily's leela*
... that out of the
illusion of death
bursts forever life

As the rain became
the grape upon the vine
so does Jesus turn
water into wine

The tree of mango
releases not all at
once
her annual manna
... all comes
with patience.

As apple blossoms
give way to fruit
so does earthly beauty
bow to the glowing
of heartroots

In the sun,
speak not
the chrysanthemums
God speaks most
when we are mum.

Glow out of African violets
the music of life's violins
.. their purple rivers of light
flow without violence

As Samson was stronger
when his hair was uncut
so do dahlias say..
'don't let Delilah
any flower pluck'

The lilac..
fragrance pours from
her unbound
though she is rooted
in the ground.

Deep is the hue of
the purple plum
... to find heart jewels
the depths we plumb.

Crimson red is the carnation
.. so are all in whom red
or green blood flow
... sacred incarnations

Radiant are the
rainbow of tulips
May only kindness will be spoken
from my two lips

God does not on
any
inflict pain or
experiment
when healing beings
or growing spearmint.

They think the
wind is lackadaisical
but because he freely blows the
world will not lack for daisies

As life force is
within each cockleshell
so heaven does dwell
inside what seems a hell

Painted by God's glowing brush
is the bright orange Indian
paintbrush
.. like the sunrise
your soulrays give love to all

The kudzu vine
has hidden the junkyard as she climbed
so say you to all
.. for forgiving.. now is the time

The little flowers of veronica
fall below the mowers' blades
so do the humble and meek
inherit the earth

Unrolls the scroll
of the trilliums deep in woods
.. they write we need no surety
save for purity




(to Jack and Pat McDermott with love and admiration)