Nourishing Small Buds

I save my sweetest sap for tender shoots, wrap them safe inside my strongest roots. From my own store I give what I have gained — the love I kept, the courage I obtained. When storms roll in and skies turn dark and grey, I bend above to shield them from the fray. No cold wind bites where I have spread my leaves; they drink the light while I endure the breeze. I teach them how to reach for sun and sky, how to stand tall when heavy clouds pass by. With every drop of care I sacrifice, they grow straight stems and petals soft and nice. My heart is their first soil, warm and deep, where they can rest and dream and safely sleep. One day they’ll bloom into their golden best — my greatest harvest, joy, and proudest rest.