“Our hidden flower…” by Barbara Leonhard

For the past half week I’ve felt heavy hearted and physically sore. Today I just had to go back to bed and sleep. I finally realized I was grieving Mom because April 3 is the anniversary of her passing.
It makes me wonder what lies beneath other dark days I have. Did something happen to me that I left buried and hidden? That in some mysterious way became my root, my grounding, and my new blooms?

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

…. isn’t a secret
as we all till the ground
for the daffodil, 
sprung each spring
before an unexpected snow
that bends our backs so low
we wonder if we can survive
The weight of a lingering winter
We brace the cold, wet tears 
and all hold grief
in a sacred spot
where its roots can uphold us
once the frost melts

Copyright © 2023 Barbara Harris Leonhard
All Rights Reserved

Barbara is author of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (EIF- Experiments in Fiction, 2022). A poem from this collection was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2022. Also, on Spillwords, Barbara was voted Author of the Month of October 2021, nominated Author of the Year for 2021, and recognized as a Spillwords Socialite of the Year in 2021. In November 2022, she became Editor for MasticadoresUSA. Barbara enjoys bringing writers together and started hosting open mics and readings on…

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“The Caregiver’s Craft” Recited on Radio Friends with Paul Pepper

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Out Now! ‘Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir’ — Experiments in Fiction

Ingrid Wilson, my publisher (EIF- Three-Penny Memories) posted this before my Zoom Launch event started. My reading went very well. Unable to sleep, I stayed up most of the night promoting the launch and outlining my reading. Despite my lack of sleep, I felt energized by the love and support. I cried and choked on... Continue Reading →

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