The Root of Us All
By
Jennifer Angelina Petro
Flowers flower from the branch,
Branches flower from the tree,
Trees flower from the ground,
The ground flowers from the earth,
The earth flowers from love’s universe,
Love’s universe flowers from many minds
And many hearts and many wishes and many prayers.
Minds flower from seed,
Hearts flower from fire,
Wishes flower from all children,
Prayers flower from pain.
You flower from me,
I flower from you,
We flower from need,
And need flowers from desire,
Desire flowers from all space,
And all time, and everything right
With the world.
Waves flower from the sea,
The sea flowers from longing,
Longing flowers from love once known
Calling us home,
Home flowers from hearth and bed.
Love flowers from our hands,
Our hands flower from our limbs,
Our limbs flower from our bodies,
Our bodies flower from union,
Union flowers from creation everlasting
Everlasting flowers from joy,
Joy flowers from need,
Need flowers from want,
Want flowers from gardens of many fragrances and colors,
Many colors flower from infinity’s imagination,
Imagination flowers from the hands of a child,
And a child is the root of us all,
All of us flower from variety’s branches,
Branches flower from the tree,
The tree flowers from the ground,
The ground flowers from where you stand,
Your standing flowers from community,
Community flowers hands opening,
Hands opening flower from pain lived,
Pain lived flowers from the bravery of a child,
And a child is the root of us all.