this is the old Christmas cactus

that peers down over the top edge of

the highest cupboard in my kitchen.

when i was in jr high

it hung

in the sunny window of my bedroom.

i counted its blooms as i daydreamed

while my unfinished homework lay untouched in my lap.

now i marvel that no matter how far off calendar it gets,

those blooms never fail

to cheer me

just when i feel myself begin to lose heart

over one thing or another.

things that will surely pass, before

i spy the first tiny buds that will mark a new season’s beginnings.

‘lose heart’ taken from 4:16 in 2nd corinthians.