Emmanuel Mennonite

Hyacinths to feed the soul

One of the joys of springtime and living in our new-to-us townhouse is discovering new plants growing in our garden.  A few weeks ago, I noticed some new growth just outside our front door that I thought were hyacinths.  Seeing them reminded me of a poem I came across years ago, that I wrote in my journal at the time and have remembered ever since:

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

Today I see that what I thought were hyacinths have turned out to be bluebells--not quite the same as hyacinths, but close enough that they remind me all the same to nourish both body and soul, more than that even to risk one's "slender store" to "feed thy soul."  There are things more important than bread, more important than physical safety.  What an appropriate reminder for Lent.