Trusting the Process of the Struggle
The Hawthorn Tree
bright red berries succulent clusters
devoured by the Cedar Waxwing’s arduous journey.
The seed
processed through their ravenous need
is cast aside
into the whims of the wind
the refuse of their pilgrimage plummets
…miles away into the humus of life.
buried in debris
the Radicle
delves down
to draw from the rich resources of organic matter.
a Radical Thought:
to trust the Process of the Struggle
in the depths of digestion,
in the dark of the Earth
so a tender stem can reach blindly for the light
in New Ground
with green fingers feeling their way
ready to burst
as Earth Bound it meets the Sky…
……
This poem is from the chapbook Waning into Winter by Martha Sherick Shen (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/waning-into-winter-by-martha-sherick-shen/
Martha Sherick Shen is native to Iowa. She has written poetry privately throughout her life. After raising her daughters and divorcing, she earned a degree in Zoology from Iowa State University within a specialized program for Neuroscience and Physiological Psychology. She graduated with honors in 2003. During these years, Martha also met, became friends with, and later married the man who would bring her a fairytale life, Dr. Sheldon Shen. Sheldon passed away suddenly in 2019. Martha now lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her daughter Abra’s family and her French Bulldog, Judah.
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