The Lent Lily - by Helen Kinnett
The Lent Lily, the daffodil,
Sat in a jar on my window sill,
How do you grow?
What do you know?
What can you show?
Of a time long ago?
The daffodil,
When on the hill,
Planted deep in the ground,
Soil and anticipation surround,
The Lent Lily, waiting to bloom,
To bring light, out of the gloom,
Its roots in the soil, can be compared,
To the roots of our faith, showing Jesus cared,
The roots support the plant as a whole,
Jesus the anchor, to my soul,
When that same earth was covered in snow,
Little did we see, little did we know,
That the bulb below,
Began to grow,
The bulb is a container of all that is good,
A vessel for God’s love, a heart always should,
Live a faithful life of kindness,
Take away pain, suffering, blindness,
Little shoot rise up, appear,
Telling us that Easter is near,
Then the little green shoot, points to the sky,
Foretelling Good News, Jesus will die,
Then come back to life, be born again,
Resurrection, as the Saviour of men,
Daffodil, its leaf unfurled,
Bursts out light, into the world,
Grow towards heaven, little leaf,
Death of Jesus, bringing grief,
Until on that very first, Easter Sunday,
Stone from his tomb, was rolled away,
Trust in God, he offers new life,
Happiness blooms, it takes away strife,
Hallelujah, Jesus is risen,
So at last, we are forgiven,
Stem starts to show, growing strong and true,
Matching God’s love, unconditional for you,
Stem stretches forth and pushes up,
Petals emerge, a trumpet, a cup,
Flower comes out,
Gone is all doubt,
Protecting the seeds within,
So that new life can begin,
A daffodil,
Fully grown on the hill,
A daffodil, needs showers and sun,
A sign of the event that is yet to come,
Foretelling the day when Jesus will,
Hung on a cross, die on that hill,
But for now we think of that flower,
Praising God, hour by hour,
In the sky, not a single cloud,
Wild Lent flower, standing proud,
Daffodils blossom, as a springtime event,
Temptation of Jesus, signifies Lent,
A time of fasting,
And love everlasting,
If you repent,
You understand Lent,
Plant with yellow petals, delicate, pale,
Daffodil, of Lent, tell me your tale,
Beneath the canopy of plants and trees,
Lent Lily, gently, blow in the breeze,
Be a pilgrim, seek out God’s heart,
Let your personal journey of Lent start,
Daffodil, what wisdom can your story, impart to me?
What lessons of Lent, are in you to see?
Where do you come from, what is your origin?
How did your association with Lent begin?
Greek Narcissus, turned into a flower,
Be humble this Lent, don’t abuse your power,
Vain Narcissus was turned into a flower,
Be modest today, throughout each hour,
So do whatever it takes,
To put right your mistakes,
Learn from mythology,
Let the message of Lent, set you free,
Don’t ever think too much of yourself,
Treasures of heaven, outweigh earthly wealth,
Put others first and try to be defined,
By always being selfless, decent, kind,
The Lent Lily, the daffodil,
The symbol of hope that God will fulfil,
Don’t have worries, always be sure,
God’s love for you, will always endure,
The Lent Lily, the daffodil,
The blood of Jesus that will spill,
Nailed to a cross, a gift of such worth,
Jesus will die, to redeem all the earth,
The Lent Lily, the daffodil,
Symbol of God’s love, on my window sill,
Narcissus pseudonarcissus, Lent Lily, wild daffodil,
Make time this Lent, to stop, to think and be still,
Don’t let your faith be blown, like a flower on a windy day,
To find shelter in God, you simply need to pray,
Picture this flower in your mind,
As a reminder to always be kind,
So when reading this poem about the daffodil, the Lily of Lent,
Let the inspiration of knowing, what God’s vast love meant,
Guide you today,
To follow God’s way,
The Lent Lily, the daffodil,
Telling your story with such skill,
In faith you grow,
Love is what you know,
God’s grace is what you show,
So I learn the lesson from that first Lent, long ago.