For Amelia Grace

She’s looking for solace.
She’s only eight.
It makes no sense.
It hurts to lose the one you love.
Any country song could tell you that.

Solace comes in a recipe for a poultice.
It’s a wizard of a solution
Guaranteed to heal open wounds, scrapes, and so forth.
(Scrapes, scratches, and scabs).
Does losing your Grammy
come under open wounds, scrapes, or so forth?
Maybe all three.

Here’s how to do it.
Take half a bud of Star of Bethlehem,
two violet greens
(either medium or big)
and a star petal.

It makes sense when you think of the Wisemen
following that star of wonder, royal beauty, bright.
The violets shield her world
from ever being violated again.
Let’s hope.

Mush up your Bethlehem Star bud and petal.
Wrap a violet green around the bud mush.
Rub the fresh ointment into the open wound
until it’s rubbed raw.
Place violet leaves over it to hold in the ointment.

Break the greens from wild onions.
Mix them up and eat right away.
Then you sing this song:
“Medicine of herbs and medicine of flowers.
Heal me strong and share your power.”

Be patient.
Healing the wound
may take more than hour.