STRENGTH (a tribute to my great-grandfather)

I build my life
block by block
deliberate pieces
rising
storey by storey
interlocked
in purposeful pattern
towards the vast blue sky.

Beside my structure
rising
out of a tiny soil pocket in the concrete
a wildflower dances with the wind
turns its vibrant yellow blooms
towards the vast blue sky.

And I think
about the different kinds of strength it takes
to build a life.

"The strength within
That allows you to bend with circumstance
Is the same strength
That keeps you from breaking."

     József Gerencsér, 1867-1919