Flowers and Thorns

Walked in the woods today,

Across the road,

Behind the church,

Looking for something,

Looking for nothing.

Maybe just fresh air,

And a quiet moment.

I found some flowers,

Yellow daffodils.

Their bright yellow petals,

Drawing utmost attention,

In the bleak February forest.

They had grown with a briar,

Twisting together,

Locked in a lifelong embrace,

Showing that there is beauty,

In a sharp, twisted world.

I thought about that awhile,

And it was with me the rest of the day,

But I expect it will linger,

Always in the back of the mind,

That balance,

The dark and the light,

Together forever.