Monday, April 19, 2021

Magnolias

 


A sudden gust of spring wind blew down the street, scattering magnolia blossoms, and a momentary burst of unearthly fragrance literally stopped me in my tracks. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. It was a momentary bulwark against plague, lockdowns, involuntary solitude, a culture of cruelty and suspicion, and the creeping winter-of-the-soul in which so many of us have been engulfed for more than a year. For a moment, it smelled like love, friendship, hope, possibility, and miraculous renewal. The scent feathered away, but the brightness remained like a warm handprint.