Agave Nectar

Twilight in the tropics
may set the heart on fire, 
but what stirs our candlelit eyes
often pales in the noonday sun. 

That is why I prefer cactus
and camels and those who know
the preciousness of water. 

I want my love like agave nectar, 
the sweet we harvest out of endurance; 
and the desert blossom that reminds us, 
no matter how thick and thorny our skin, 
we can still show our beauty.  

All of our tropic dreams
can be leveled in a single pass. 
Perhaps that is why we give
our greatest storms such friendly names. 

Sometimes, we only find ourselves
when we are stripped of everything. 

When we have nothing left to lose
and nothing left to give, 
our flower blossoms and
the nectar in our hearts
finally flows freely. 

Recent tragedies from nature, including the devastating storms of Irma and Harvey, the earthquakes in Mexico, the fires across the state of California, and other disasters in the world, certainly show that we are children of the earth and we live at the mercy of weather. This poem is not meant to diminish the terrible suffering of those who lost life and property in these "acts of God." What is left when we lose everything? Perhaps the only thing we have, in the end, is our dignity.

---

Have you suffered from potentially devastating circumstances in life? If so, how did it change you? What did it take from you and what did it bring out in you?

© Nick LeForce
All Rights Reserved

Please share your thoughts and comments below