The joys of the late-blooming child

This week, a few daffodils finally sprang up.
They came a little late this spring
or maybe it just feels that way
because I'd been so impatient for them
after the winter we'd been through.
When you've been looking at dormant ground

and eagerly awaiting growth,

watching daily for any sign whatsoever of growth,

you appreciate the blooms that break through.
I took in the daffodils' brightness,
admired the petals' shapes
and graceful droop
and the stalks so clearly stronger
than appearances revealed.
The daffodils were even more beautiful
than expected...
and that much more enjoyable
because of all the anticipation.