Following up on one of the thoughts presented in my previous post, the poem below is one I wrote a few years ago about one of my daughters, Giovanna. Giovanna has a particular fondness for flowers. She loves them so much that she cannot keep herself from plucking them, which often leads to me getting upset at her when she plucks all the flowers from our garden, because in my eyes she’s destroying something I’ve worked hard to cultivate.
Children come into our lives and, in many ways, disrupt the ‘order’ we’ve established. This disruptive behavior can be trying, at times, but I firmly believe it is for our own benefit. We often get caught up in our own desires, losing sight of the things that are truly important, but God sends children into our lives to save us from ourselves.
The poem is an honest argument for openness to new life in marriages. I say ‘honest’ because being open to new life comes with many challenges. It is not always easy, it is not always fun, and it is painful more often than not. In the end, though, the pain brings with it new growth, and by willingly submitting ourselves to suffering for the sake of what is right, we are in turn blessed in more ways than we can imagine.
Little Dove
I had a little garden,
One that most would overlook.
Ajuga here, a clover there
And remnants of a brook.
The dew upon the petals
Wet the palette of my heart,
Melded purples, gentle pinks,
A natural work of art.
A dove visited my garden,
Gold streaks laced in her hair,
And never had I seen a rose
Whose beauty could compare.
She hopped upon the border,
And flitted to and fro,
And with the plumpest fingers
Plucked all I’d tried to grow.
Each petal that she tugged was
A thorn pulled from my side,
While the beauty of her song
Caressed the pain inside.
I know, dear bird, your visit
To where my time is spent,
Although at times a trial,
Is one from heaven sent.
Don Bosco’s cry resounded,
“Lord, give me souls” to love.
I’ve one for you, dear patron,
God’s sweetest little dove.
Written By: Matthew Giardina