Prickly.
The title of the poem I wrote last week and was reluctant to publish.
Who wants to hear about my prickly side? I’d rather share about positivity, peace, productivity, The poem, actually, is a prayer, an honest confession.
As I thought about it, I was reminded of the prickly pear cactus. We saw a number of them, on our Arizona stay this past winter. They often looked straggly, weathered, and you certainly wouldn’t want to touch them! We never are in Arizona long enough to see them bloom, but lately I’ve seen pictures of these amazing flowers that the cactus bears.

Blooming Prickly Pear Cactus
I’ve always appreciated the saying, “Bloom where you’re planted.” Sometimes we have to acknowledge the difficulties, challenges, our feelings, the pressures and heartache we might face. And then we find courage and eventually. . . we bloom
Here is the poem:
Prickly.
Rough edges
exposed by pressure.
Life is gritty
relentless stress
revealing tender places
unmasked.
vulnerable.
Can this be a learning place?
To be real
to love others
as I love myself?
May you find strength and courage for today.
love, Grace
i