The Olive Tree

 
If the olive tree fails to bloom
you enter deep territories
where you never came before
nothing comes naturally anymore
arid regions manifest themselves
made desolate
as by peat fire.

You move through it
like Alice in Wonderland
slowly you see colour
a lost flower is blooming
you continue to walk
in the gray area
dry, arid, all at once
a green shoot.

Hope wells up
this arid dry territory
is alive again, new life
a small stream of water ripples
promise of life, on dry ground.

Suddenly a ray of sunshine
falls upon a small plant
an olive shoot
it is wrestling in order to live
days later succeeding
rooted it gladly raises
its head.

Even if the olive tree
fails to bloom
the Gardener cares
in arid areas
providing new life
in seemingly lost ground.

If the olive tree fails to bloom
give thanks for new opportunities
new unknown hope
at His appointed time
written off territory once again
will be filled with colour, dance and life.

If the olive tree fails to bloom
raise your head
new strong opportunities arise
on arid and written off ground
the olive tree will bloom once again.

Cisca Mudde

The labor of the olive shall fail, from Habakkuk 3.17