In remembrance of Sallie Bingham & The Writer’s Nose Workshop  

Layers of hope
mound like satin ribbon bows
twirled around the base of the lilac bush,
clutch the gaps in between boards
of an old wood fence,
brew in the delicious tangle
of honeysuckle vine and sassafras root,
keep seasonal tempo
a metronome that eclipses the sun
as the first buds swell in early spring
prepare to release the poignant sweetness
of magnolia and wisteria,
cupped in droplets of gentle rain
fragrant language rolling into the valley
embraces those that hunger for better times.