When I was a young girl, my grandmother gave me a small book of poetry. The book, A Little Girl is Something to Love, contained a variety of poems, from authors both known and unknown, about the blessings and promises of being a little girl. I think I got the book at about age ten, when, perhaps, the young girl insecurities started to settle in. My grandmother probably wanted me to see that girls make up a beautiful garden of flowers even if we only see dandelions in the mirror. I think it worked because I cherished the book and went on to memorize every word of every poem in it. The powerful messages in the poems didn’t just work on my ten-year-old-self either because over forty years later, I still have the book. I also make a point of reading it at least once or twice a year, and for the most part, I can still recite many of the poems.
It’s no surprise that the poems I liked had to do with nature. Even at a young age, I always had that connection. From nature, it seems we can learn so much. What better way is there to teach a young child about being free, being wild, being beautiful, being strong, being curious, being unique, being adventurous, being optimistic, being fearless, and being sensitive, than through the lessons of nature?
At this time, since it is National Poetry Month, I’d like to honor my grandmother, who loved to write and share poetry. So in the same spirit as the book she gave me, here is my poem, dedicated to young girls who can learn about life through the lessons of nature that surround them.
