A mass of brilliant flowers hides their leaves,
His bloody stripes hide greener life inside;
the red-stained cross is placed between two thieves,
their cruciform four blooms with more collide.
The rock-cress spring perennial violet
when violet violent Lent returns each year;
like flat, nailed cross raised to its silhouette,
first prostrate, then ascending stems appear.
This cross-shaped cruciferae family,
like blossoming Christians learn to sign themselves
and join the Church to bear their cross so free,
shows petalled crosses from their rocky shelves.
Some hosts of bread-white rock-cress flowers grow up,
like snowy wafers offered to be Christ
with crimson vintage in the chalice cup,
near wine-red buds bred to be sacrificed.
So we, anonymous like this little flower,
as He, incarnate, died among us here
was raised to life then by a Father's power,
will be raised too like rock-cress are each year.
-- by Pete Voelz 2001
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