Lilacs in September

Lilacs in September

Shocked to the root
like the lilac bush
in the vacant lot
by the hurricane—

whose black branch split
by wind or rain
has broken out unseasonably

into these scant ash-
colored blossoms
lifted high as if to say

to passersby
What will unleash
itself in you
when your storm comes?

—Katha Pollitt

The interesting part of this poem is the lest three lines. Often, when tragedy strikes or a crisis happens, unexpected parts of people’s characters are seen. Sometimes unnatural heroism or courage manifests itself, like when some people have an adrenaline rush and feel strong enough to save someone from drowning, or snatch them out from under a bus or a car. In that way, those people are like the lilac bush; good parts of them come out when faced with terrible things. Other people, however, don’t react well under pressure. The worst parts of their nature may come out. They may lose their tempers or lie or simply be too scared to deal with anything. The last lines read like some sort of warning: what do you think you’ll do if faced with a horrible situation?