Zinnias

 

It’s easy to forget zinnias.

 

Zinnias are the undying aunts and uncles in our lives,

Steady as bad habits,

Worn around their edges, comfortable,

Always there, never gone,

Always ready with the casserole, the joke, the hot towel,

Always there with the hug and the tickle under the chin, and

 

Even if the zinnias are not there,

Even if they are long gone and dead and buried,

The zinnia-aunts and zinnia-uncles are here,

In our minds,

In our memories,

Reminding us of family, warmth, and

All the things that are worth remembering.

 

Y08.02.03