Patient
Note the patience of a violet
who, when heavy with bee,
droops and bows and nearly
breaks, as the strange creature
bumbles deep within; brought
low to the ground, she waits
her release, knowing that
all of life would cease
without the patience of a violet.
What else besides a violet does this poem bring to your mind? (I’m continually trying to become a better poet. It’s difficult for me to know if readers will have the same associations or bring up the same imagery in their minds. I appreciate any and all feedback!)
© 2021 Christina Chase
Feature Photo by Michael Rodock on Unsplash
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Christina Chase View All
Although crippled by disease, I'm fully alive in love. I write about the terrible beauty and sacred wonder of life, while living with physical disability and severe dependency. A revert to the Catholic faith through atheism, I'm not afraid to ask life's big questions. I explore what it means to be fully human through my weekly blog and have written a book: It's Good to Be Here, published by Sophia Institute Press.
Christina Chase 
You did very well!!
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Thank you for your poems which stimulate and enrich our minds and hearts! Keep on creating them!
Patience is a great virtue and enumerated as one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. We humans have to work hard to attain to this virtue. The little violet, thankfully, is naturally programmed by God to act “prudently and patiently” in this case of beneficent survival for God’s creation.
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Beautiful poem!
Reading this over and over many times and sharing it with my dear mom, we had a vision that the beautiful violet could be someone possibly suffering something. The Bee could be a virus, sickness, or disability causing the violet to be weak, and almost broken. But through patients the violet will survive by letting the bee
do what it needs to do to restore and pollinate other violets/flowers.
As we live our life today as a “beautiful violet” Patients comes through trusting God.
To keep fighting knowing God will carry us and give us what we need to survive.
Happy sacred heart of Jesus month!
Theresa
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Thank you (and your mother) for reflecting with me on this little poem, Theresa!
I appreciate your take on suffering and the violet. It’s a thought that had occurred to me, but I didn’t know how it could be seen as a continuance of life, But you implied that suffering with patience is beneficial to others, and I do believe that that is true. Thank you!
And a happy month to you – in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may I remember that “patience comes through trusting God!”
Pax Christi
Christina
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I love this Poem especially this one.
It brings back a moment in time when my twin sister and I were young, and would go into the woods to pick wildflowers (especially “violets” my mother’s favorite) for our Mother.
Oh, how happy this token of love would bring her!
She would then place them in a small vase in front of her statue of Mary.
It was so long ago, but you make it feel like it was yesterday,
I thank you so so much Christina.
Love ❤️
Joan Bussiere
Sent from my iPhone
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That’s a beautiful memory! Violets take over our lawn every May — and I love it! Blessings to you and your sister,
Pax Christi
Christina
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Hi Christina,
Your poems are insightful and beautiful. The Holy Spirit will continue to lead you down the path as a poet. You are truly a blessing in my life. As a brain cancer survivor, the violet resonated with me.
Peace, Ed
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Thank you for reflecting with me, Ed! Re-reading the poem through your eyes is very insightful. I deeply appreciate your sharing with me!
May it be as you said, that the Holy Spirit will guide me as a poet and writer. Blessings,
Pax Christi
Christina
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I too appreciate Ed’s comment about the Holy Spirit leading you onward. Regarding the “violet” I understand that among it’s characteristics it symbolizes “wisdom” and “humility”. Yes, the fragile and invaded little violet, laden with a heavy creature is forced to bow down under the weight. But God wants it to spring back and live. Thru the weight of the heavy cross the human “violet” discovers HUMILITY — the TRUTH. In great thanksgiving it raises its petals to the SHINING
SON.
Martha
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That’s beautiful!
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