May we surrender all cynicism and doubt
about the state of the world to her,
she of the serene face

and gentle countenance, her leafy crown
blooming the deepest red of—
what else?—her great heart embracing

for all growing things, which certainly
includes plants and animals
great and small,

not least us two-legged ones
who marvel at her profuse array
of colors, her hardy persistence,

flourishing no matter what nature
throws at her—she, come to think of it,
the embodiment of Mother Nature

herownself.