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Many of your sisters
and brothers stay inside the pod
huddled together, the brown
and brittle October hull either
protection or prison.
But you have broken out, pushed
away this dead house.  Your arms reach
for the sun and wind. It pulls you
from the others, even as you remain joined
together.  And the breeze
flows through you.
You are strong and silken,
fragile and holding sunlight.
The sun-drenched yet chilly
winds blow against you,
and I see a star formed
by the tension between
letting go and hanging on.
Other milkweed floss floats past,
being carried somewhere –
no one can say yet where.
I don’t try to release you
before your time,
but I do wish you
godspeed.

Photo by Lasclay on Unsplash

Rhonda Sider Edgington

Rhonda Sider Edgington is Director of Music and Organist at Hope Church (RCA) in Holland, MI, as well as Instructor of Organ at Calvin University. She performs as a soloist and chamber musician throughout West Michigan, around the US, and occasionally in Europe, where she studied 17th century North German organs and organ music with a Fulbright scholarship, and lived and worked for 7 years. Rhonda began studying and writing poetry in mid-life, instead of buying a fancy sports car, and has co-facilitated writing circles with women in the Allegan County Jail.

2 Comments

  • Jim says:

    Thanks very much Rhonda!! Perhaps an all-to-obvious alternate title for your beautiful, poignant poem is The RCA. Sad but true. Thankyou again, Rhonda!!

  • Jack Ridl says:

    Oh my thank you, Rhonda. Such exquisite pacing, timing, quieting voice, structure as an extension of meaning, authenticity, care.
    Yes, than you so much