Fireweed Saviour

A poem for Easter Sunday

Up from the ash,
where once fire raged
leaving scorched black earth,
rise magenta-topped stems,
lithe and delicate,
bowing in the wind
then standing tall again, laughing
in the face of death.

Fireweed saviour,
you pave the way,
flourishing on disturbed earth,
bringing life again where once
death reigned.
A miracle of grace
riding on silky-haired seeds
carried by the wind
to landscapes in need of
salvation.

Easter Jesus,
you germinate seeds of
new life in the burned and
baren places in our world,
and in the brokenness of our lives,
growing beauty, hope, and love
on delicate stems rising
up from the ash.

​Wendy Janzen, 2019