Expectations
No one tells the tree to bloom in winter
Or to give shade while there's frost
They aren't expected to do anything
Other than survive
And the fact that they make it through
Harsh winters and strong storms
Is something we take for granted
They survived the worst season
By shedding their leaves
And giving very little
They are ugly and bare
And we honor their contribution
Why then do we grieve huge losses
And our own bad weather
Only to be told we must stay beautiful
And not bare our pain
But produce beautiful things
As if it is summer—happy and free
All year long?
Why aren't we given the freedom
To simply survive?
Even nature begs of us
To embrace our season of healing
By just being alive.
It’s kind of a sad season of loss and solitude. But then winter comes so much more harsh. We can only hang on and hope that Spring will come as promised.