Mountain Laurel Living

by Bethany Peck

Photography by Bethany Peck

Mountain Laurel Living

The days draw near,

when the woods are ready to burst

with bouquets of delicate white blossoms.

The perfect pure beauty,

of my mountain laurel.

Through the decay of autumn,

and then amidst the snow,

I watch and wait;

drawing strength from their evergreen

signs of life.

While all else is wintering,

my hope is held by the wind.

Blowing now as a sweet spring breeze,

soon to be realized

among these flowering trees.

These are my loves now,

the longings that give me life.

Adopted and treasured,

as my path veered off course

from the ways I imagined.

For what happens,

when dreams die,

as the bud of a young heart

is nipped, and no more;

pruned by providence?

Offerings they become;

of outstretched arms,

and open hands.

Hopes floating away,

with longing and lament.

These unrealized desires,

kingdoms of my own making,

fall with anguish

onto the grave

of a heart torn asunder.

And the tears that flow

steady and silent,

water that ground,

soaked up

by the soil of suffering.

I cannot force,

a future lost.

My feeble hands trying to till

are no match for the

master gardener,

as He tends the tears

and the soil,

to germinate the seeds

of new hope,

new life.

As I wander amidst

the springtime’s mountain laurel,

with the wind whispering

the memories

of those lost dreams,

I delight in the beauty

blooming before me,

on this season’s trails

that take a new direction

with wondrous sights unseen.

All photography by Bethany Peck

Bethany Peck is a writer and photographer living near the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in northeastern Maryland. She loves nature and writes about experiencing God's love through creation at bethanypeck.org and on Instagram at @beautiful_purpose_writing. In her day job, she gets to write stories for local ministries in the Baltimore area. She and her dog Hunter stay active by hiking, kayaking, and enjoying long evening walks.