In The Wind

by Nita K. Ritzke

The lilies have bloomed. Their scent

breezes into the kitchen

from the backyard

like kids out of school.

Their red-orange

C-petals reach down toward where they came from—

the fountain of leaves spraying up

and arching over the blooms

the way my mother leaned

over the beds of her five children

when we were ill

to whisper the strongest medicine.

The lilies were transplanted

from my mother’s flood-dead

gray flower bed

and dug up in haste

to evacuate memory

before her house, our house

was sold for salvage.

Now, the bouquets overflow

the edging of the garden

embracing our home.

NITA K. RITZKE grew up in Minot then lived in Fargo, Grand Forks and currently resides in Bismarck. She writes and teaches many types of communication at the University of Mary. She finds inspiration by daydreaming with her dog Mojo and interacting with those who find poetry in everyday life.