A Riot of Roses

Reinstein Woods

All these years,

And all these steps,

Never a word or a sight or a sound or a smell.

But you were there.

A riot of wild roses filled my senses today

For the first time

At Reintstein Woods.

I was enraptured.

A hint along one of the first trails there,

A small bush there,

And then an explosion of scent and petals.

The entire park

Filled with your aroma.

A disorienting journey

Down a small path

To a tiny creek I’ve never seen before

And another explosion — such a violent word.

Another exuberance.

Along the creek bed, you dwelled.

Along the trails, you waited.

You were everywhere.

Excitement filled me,

And the excitement healed me

If only for a moment.

The tension,

The worry,

The stress

All melted away

As I stopped to smell the roses

Over and over again.