Endurance
It’s spring
and the one hyacinth comes up,
the same as last year, by itself,
until it withers
and that’s when the iris appears,
caught in a blur,
faces looking backward
as the stalk bends
and the iris leans down to rest
the weight of an opulent head.
All the while
almost unnoticed,
more and more
violets spread,
each little splotch of
soreness
in the grassy pockets,
staying and straying,
grown knowing
to live longest,
not to brag.
LEE UPTON’s most recent book is The Day Every Day Is (Saturnalia, 2023). Read more.