Day Lillies
in my garden
by
Jude Kyrie

I have a garden of lilies
A collection so it seems.
Like some people collect stamps.
I planted one
In memory for each lost
part of me,
One for Dad
One for Mom
Two for my handsome brothers
One for my sweet sister.

Unlike those they remember
They ask nothing of me.
No emergencies or
wake up calls in the night.
Hardy against the
harsh winter.
Resistant to the sun
of midsummer.

They proliferate
and never fail
to grow and flower
in yearly abundance.

Asking only for a little water
In the very dry spells
Even then in their thirst
barely ruffling a leaf
to catch my attention.

Sometimes
in the early morning
the morning dew
collects as beads
on the new blooms
and the morning sunshine
glints in them.
like the tears that
well in my eyes
when I think
of who they were
planted for.