A storm swept through
Our town last night,
The wind was wild and strong.
The rain came down
In torrents fierce
And lasted hours long.

I saw today
Where branches big
Had broken one by one
Yet flowers small
On slender stems
Were reaching toward the sun.

I wondered why
The weak survived
And then I came to see
The trees were stiff
And tough but lacked
The blooms' resiliency.

What lesson should
I keep in mind
When life sends storms to me?
A hardened heart
Is best replaced
With flexibility.

Dorothy H. Bizer
Quincy, Ill