To Lelio

Upon Graduation December 19, 2004
The University of Maryland

We planted clusters of red roses to celebrate your birth.
Each spring when they bloom,
we remember the joy of your arrival and early years.

They’ve survived transplants and harsh winters.
Their prickly thorns provide sharp defense.
They started out very small,
but nurtured by love, fertilized with care,
have grown deep roots and far reaching branches.

As you begin the next season of your life,
learn the wisdom of nature,
take solace in the cycle of seasons.

You will feel the rapture of spring
languid heat of summer
fading retreat of autumn
and cold death of winter.

Cycles of death and rebirth will give you hope
and also teach the truth of Impermanence.

Throughout all the seasons of your life,
know your roots are secure in our hearts
and that you are deeply loved.

Wishing you an exuberant bloom
as you enter the summer of your years.
Only our love is unending.

Ann West, edited 2019