The tulip lay flat to the ground
cut off at its base
I picked it up, and placed it
in a vase
with a little water
it recovered
never fully opening its flower
but tried hard not to die.
Bernadette Gallagher
Bernadette Gallagher is a Cork-based poet who has been writing since she was a teenager. Her inspiration lies in gardening, cycling, and being in nature. She believes cutting briars is the perfect meditation. A selection of her work has been recorded by the University College Dublin Poetry Archive, and she has been invited to read her work in Ireland, UK, US, and at the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi, India.