By Virginia Nygard
Vero Beach Branch
Mom and I pause this April day to rest in the park
where the flag on the pole flies free
and tulips in hues of ripe cherries
sweet oranges and sunshine
carpet the earth below.
Heavy with age at this early date
some bow limp and low to the ground
signaling that even spring heralds
will soon surrender to slumber
as other shoots peek from the soil.
The arms of the arbor display disparate ends of life.
A youthful flowering plum scribbled full
with fragrant blossoms white and sweet
shades our line of sight to the opposite end
where an ancient dogwood fails to bud.
Beneath the pompous plum’s
glorious gleaming array
I sit on a cold iron bench
beside Mom warm in her wrap
but frail and wheelchair bound.
We sense the contrast that surrounds us
and she surprises me with a crystal-clear observation
as keen to the point as a newly honed blade
“That tree struggles to live,” says she
not realizing that in her I see reflected
the ragged dogwood’s joust with death
the shriveling and shedding
of fond memories long held in mind
of precious petals of her time
until the hourglass drains.
As we leave
snowy petals float free
showering us like teardrops
as though trees also know the fate
of all that blossoms.
The delicate and beautiful imagery reflects the frail beauty of age and the struggle of life and death. A lovely and poignant poem.
Perfect word choice and graceful flow delicately capture a heavy truth. Very fine poem, Virginia.
Such an eloquent capture of the cycle of life, both in nature and in ourselves…
Thank you….an artistic reminder that softens our aged image!
Life and death metaphors are all around us, We just have to take the time to notice
and be touched by them .I was. Thank you.
Thank you for a beautiful poem.
Particularly like the last line.
Virginia this is such an incredibly loving and tender poem.
The flow of thoughts combine with nature combines well.. Love this poem
Thanks for sharing this poem. I especially liked the opening verses. And although in its entirety, it did capture mood reflected in the author’s observation, which also reflected time and passing, the opening verses (particularly paragraphs 1&2) echoes a sweetness and sentiment that I could understand relate to. The comparison of the “tree struggling to live” and the author’s observations of her mother dealing with a handicap and perhaps declining health, was striking also, especially with as she said the “contrasting” surrounding. Over all, very good use of metaphors and story telling.
Hope NLAPW will continue to share poems like this with me.
Shirley Davis
Oh my, so incredibly poignant Virginia. Absolutely beautiful and stirs so many emotions. I’m in that season with my Mother so your poem touched me deeply. Thank you for sharing!
Wow! What a fabulous poem. As an artist, I see pictures with each line.
Thank you for writing such an insightful and truthful poem.
Beautiful poem as it uses the graceful metaphor of the precious fleeting of nature’s blooms to the frailty of human life!