She knows the seas
The Baltic might be her favorite
But she remembers the Sea of Azov, the Black, and the Bay of Biscay

Ports of An Mhuir Cheilteach, Newquay, Boston, and Victoria
She has arrived at these
Waterways of Dnipro, Wisła, Siene, Juan de Fuca, and Canale Grande
She has sailed on these
Cobblestone streets of Assisi, Ávila, Dublin, and Kyiv
She has walked on these
Cathedrals of Paris, Rome, Florence, and Lviv
She has prayed in these
And in Wadowice
Kremówka Papieska

She is no stranger to the land
She will say that Madrid was nice
Novo Selo was sweet
Brussels too brief
And London too long

She is no stranger to the land
She was born on it as a matter of fact
Suddenly one morning
She was here
As she was always meant to be

She surveys the land
As Noah did when he disembarked
The animals belong to her
And the garden grows lush at her feet

But her eyes are blue like the sea
And there is so much below the surface
Yet if you saw her gentle face
You would never know
That she knows so much
About the ways of heaven and earth
About the ways of humanity
Tell me how she knows so much
If you can

She watches the skies
An experienced sailor
Who remembers the storms
Blackness, rushing water, attacks from every side
Gasping
Who could continue?
There were times
She carried the crew
Alone

She has seen much
This one
She has seen the face of her beloved
And has known both loss and longing
Indeed
She knows the face of suffering
You could say she knows the thorns
She has worn the crown

But enough of this
She says
She reminds us
That now it is spring
Now we are on the other side of the divide
The earth is being renewed

And the rose knows that this is her time
Her time to bud and bloom
To reign again as the queen of flowers
There she is
Consider the paradox
Simplicity and complexity
Hidden yet open
Abundance in even a single bloom
How many poets have sung the praises of the rose?
Its fragrance, elegance
Its very name
Rose
Rosa
Róża
Metaphor for everything beautiful
Symbol of love
Love on earth and love from above

There she is
Soon it will be her time
She has comforted others
She will be comforted
She has fought
And she has won
Soon it will be her time
To wear another crown

I have seen her crown
But I have not seen her wear it
The gems are clear yet white
Not refracting light
But better
Radiating light
As if each gem is a fragment of a star
Each gem mysteriously attached to the next
In the way that one event in life
Connects to another

I have seen her crown
But I have not seen her wear it
Not yet

For now she remains hidden
Who grasps the paradox
Of the simple and the complex
Of the smooth surface and the hidden depths
Of the wise and the young?
Who remembers how God gave wisdom to the four
As in Daniel 1:17?
Yes, Daniel of Lion’s Den fame

I have seen her crown
A crown which cannot be bought
But which she has won

I think you will be there when she receives this crown
It will be placed upon her head
Shimmering shining
Delicate
Resplendent
Yet symbolizing more

Symbols and rhymes
Riddles and references
For now
Must suffice for the reader
And for the poet

For it is not yet time

I have seen her crown
And I will see her wear it