I first fell in love with magnolias when we lived on the East coast. Tall as buildings with big leathery green leaves - and their beautiful springtime blossoms.When we moved to the Midwest, I had to leave them behind because the winters here were too cold for them to survive. I wasn't delighted when horticulturists developed cold-hardy magnolias. They lose their leaves every fall - and bloom before their leaves appear in the spring. this year, the one we planted in our garden inspired me to write this poetry:
On the eighth day, God awoke refreshed and
decided to take a stroll though the new creation.
Humming a little tune, God noted with satisfaction
how well everything was working.
But the further God walked, the more
a disquiet grew within God —
in all this magnificent perfection.
something was missing
There was pure water to drink and
enough food for every living creature.
There was diversity of habitats and
ecological balance everywhere.
There were places for shelter
when storms passed through.
There were majestic canyons, great rivers,
oceans teemed with life, jungles and deserts.
And there were quiet places for peaceful relaxation.
How could anything possibly be missing?
God sat on a large rock for a long time and
surveyed the land spread out across the Earth.
Then it came to God — everything
had a pragmatic purpose. Food for the hungry,
water for the thirsty, shelter from the elements.
But there was nothing that existed
just for its own sake — beauty whose
only purpose was being beautiful,
and expected nothing in return.
So on the eighth day
God created magnolias.
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