Bloom Where You Are Planted

by Sue Fulmore

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

Bloom where you are planted, they say.

But I am a bulb

buried in darkness,

bound by soil,

pressed down by expectations and duties,

pinioned by opinions of who I “should” be. 

Be seen and not heard. 

Be uncomplaining, 

compliant.

Don't be angry or doubt.

Smile.

The negotiator in conflict.

The fixer of emotions and wounds.

Always one finger to the sky—

a barometer of sorts—

testing for shifts in the atmosphere.

After years, I am left 

a dry husk,

an empty shell,

presumed dead 

to the woman I could have been.

Hidden and confined,

I wonder what is to become of me.

Could the real me emerge?

Could dreams long-forgotten 

come to life again?

Unless a seed dies, they say, 

there is no fruit,

no bloom, 

no beauty. 

I settle into this darkness—

this womb—

where there might yet be

life,

made new, reclaimed.  

SUE FULMORE

Sue Fulmore is a freelance writer and speaker seeking to live an examined life. She pursues beauty on the regular, believing it soothes and sustains and points us toward the Creator. She shares an empty nest with her husband in Alberta, Canada. Sue is the proud long-distance mom of two adult daughters and is still learning to navigate this stage. You can find her on Instagram @suefulmore and on Substack at A Capacity for Wings.

Sue is co-author of the book A Writer’s Refuge: Prayers, Blessings, and Encouragement for the Writer's Heart.