Fallen Flower

I have two huge camellia bushes in my backyard, each about sixteen feet high. They bloom all winter, covered with hundreds of flowers from December through May. Their beautiful color against the stark winter grays and muted browns are a welcomed sight every day. I'm sure there is a good analogy here about plants, people and life? that if planted in the perfect location we will thrive.

Little Flower

Little flower I see you among the thorns
In a landscape so large and barren
I see your petals blush with delight
To be caught in the gaze of another’s sight

Your smiles inviting please come in
To my barren landscape where I grow
Tell me about life in other places
Of brooks and hollows where I might go

And feel the gaze of another’s sight
To see my beauty’s form and color
For that beauty I could not see
Until you gazed down on me

Before our meeting in the landscape barren
So large and empty was my view
My petals blush with delight
As I bask in your sight

Beautiful flower I admire your beauty
So fresh and colorful is your view
You make the sunrise
Just to shine down on you

It shines with more brilliance at your sight
Radiant colors I never knew
In this landscape large and barren
So big and empty until I saw you.

Painting in Progress

My Villa

Please come to my villa Nelly
we can drink and dance
I promise I won’t tell

We can laugh and play
you can even bring your cat Lance
please come to my villa Nelly

We can climb all day
and do more, I pray
I promise I won’t tell

We can write and paint
maybe all day; whatever you say
please come to my villa Nelly

You can go to the market
and buy to your hearts content
I promise I won’t tell

I hope you read
the last letter I sent
please come to my villa Nelly
I promise I won’t tell.




Written in response to Poetry Thursday's weekly challenge (April 26th): Write a Villanelle. Yes I too had to Google villanelle to find out exactly what the poetic form was!

Words.....a letter of love

With words we talk to God
words can give comfort and healing
words can hurt and destroy
words can tell lies

and fool those that listen
words can speak truth
but never be heard
words can be in the dictionary

but never read
words can be on peace treaties
and burn up when the bombs fall
words can describe your beauty

that you did not see
words can show humility
and say they are sorry
words can be pompous and arrogant

wallowing in their sin
words can be meek and humble
ready to lift up and encourage
words can add comfort to your sorrow

changing your tears to laughter
words can make you remember
what’s important, and forget what is not
words can lift up your spirits

and move you to action
words can hide where you don’t see them
until it is too late
words can be the name of a person

that you will never forget
words can be their life story
words can try to describe
how wonderful that life was

but they always fall short
words cannot replace love
but they can say it is real
words can try to say thank you

for all you have meant to me
words can say I miss you
when I mean adore
words can say I love you

I hope you know how much
words show our humanity
the good and the bad
words help us to understand life

words can be the Constitution
or the Gettysburg address
words can be Shakespeare sonnets
or just a child’s letter of love

words help tell our story
about civilization and what we’ve done
words, our letter to the future
about all our hope’s and dreams.


In response to Inspire me Thursday weekly challenge "Words" (April 26th)