Sometimes, the best wisdom comes from women who have walked through the valley and are still learning to keep their eyes on the hills. Welcome to our new series: Valley Hill Apartments!

A Poem for a Flower

Written by Tannika Nikeya

Hello, I am Rose. I moved to Valley Hills Apartments last year. In the middle of the night, I found myself hauling in bags of all I had managed to quietly take with me. And it wasn’t much at all.

Today, I sit here by my kitchen window, slowly sipping my hot chamomile tea. My eyes follow a cardinal, happily chirping along a tree, and then drift to a soft white flower sitting alone amidst the grass. I exhale a long sigh.

I wonder if the flower is lonely, like I had been.

I had once sat alone just as quiet as that little flower—but brokenhearted and lonely. I endured gaslighting and chaos, and felt every petal of my soul being stripped away until I became a shadow of myself.

But as I sit here in my kitchen, something shifts.

I begin to write a letter to a flower…

from the depths of my heart.

In the backyard all alone
Sitting in the mud and dirt
Among rocks and stone
Your leaves withered, withdrawn
Wishing you were placed
On a manicured lawn

The acknowledgments, the daily sustenance
You once received
Have dried up like your leaves
Your wardrobe is dull—renewal must begin within
You may not be the prettiest flower
Feeling like you are about to break, not just bend, in the wind

How long will you wait
For someone to water you to grow
To tell you to soar
To give you value
Just because they walked through nature’s door?

Stand tall—get up on your feet
Encourage yourself
Stretch in hope
You’ve got goals to meet
Air to breathe
Rooms to impact
You don’t have to shrink
Let the sunlight hit your face
And take your joy back

Your worth is not predicated
On what they say, see, or do
No one can validate
Or invalidate you

You’ve known seasons of hiding
Of feeling like you died
Until the true Lover of your soul
Breathed—and brought you back alive

You’ve lost hope
Wanted to run away
But you learned to be still
When noise and storms surrounded you
He quieted you and you began to heal

They said you had no value
Said you wouldn’t last long
Said other flowers were prettier
And although you felt weak, you remained strong

The trees whispered about you;
They gave you a different type of shade,
Shifted their leaves so the heat can make you weary and fade

But you are not doomed
Look up to heaven
Receive your true Lover’s grace to bloom

It’s not over
Life is just starting
He stays close
To the brokenhearted

Each day you rise—just walk
At your pace
Wipe your face
Rest… yield
Dance in the field
And brighten the day
Let the birds see your resilience in every way.

They may stop to admire you
Take in your view
But remember who you are
Deep within you

Some may try to pluck you
Or take you along
But stay rooted
Remain where you belong

Even when others walk away
Stand still; know you’re divine
Humble posture
Fearfully and wonderfully made
You are His design
Continue to grow in His perfect time

Sis, there is courage within you.
See yourself the way God does.
Your worth is not determined by others.
He deemed you worthy before He placed you in your mother’s womb.
So show up today… and begin to bloom.

Contributing Video: https://youtu.be/sJ5Us3_T7yU