The Way of It

When I discovered this poem it reminded me of my wife (especially our early years). She is so amazingly creative. She is also incredibly sacrificial to our children and me. Since her birthday is today and our anniversary is right around the corner, I thought I would post it. I pray God will help me to grow more and more in the sacrificing way for her and our children...

With her fingers she turns paint
into flowers, with her body
flowers into a remembrance
of herself. She is at work
always, mending the garment
of our marriage, foraging
like a bird for something
for us to eat. If there are thorns
in my life, it is she who
will press her breast to them and sing.

Her words, when she would scold,
are too sharp. She is busy
after for hours rubbing smiles
into the wounds. I saw her,
when young, and spread the panoply
of my feathers instinctively
to engage her. She was not deceived,
but accepted me
...as someone
she could build a home with
for her imagined child.

~R. S. Thomas