Unknown Tropical

into the unknown, 
we venture, 
each day.

some things are 
discoveries, 
pleasing 
in every way

flowers in 
tropical gardens, 
brighten memories,

of a time before
today's plague
descended on us..

whatever disaster, 
things can be 
much better
than we want
to admit.

our thirst for
knowledge is
like orange juice.

we can only 
take so much
after all.

so there we sit,
feeling a little
bit foolish,

with a two litre
jug, barely touched.

Colours

   beauty in a tropical
garden, warm space,
very cool spot to be...

   looking at exotic
colours, rich purple
      and vivid green.


looking at her face,
(a pretty little girl)

      she told me she
   was ugly, her skin 
colour wasn't white.

      the air was thin, 
and dizzy on my feet,
      i found true 
   words to say

this child was
      too sweet,
to hear or say
      such evil.

   i had to say, 
"that isn't true".
 
   she was sweet 
as sweet can be.

someone filled 
      her mind
with evil lies,

things she must
      not believe.


   beauty in a tropical
garden, warm space,
very cool spot to be...

   looking at exotic
colours, rich purple
      and vivid green.

Narcisus

old stories
were told of
a young man,

in love with
      himself.

   flowers are,
as we should
remember,

      a little
different.

   and many
      varieties
can brighten

our spring
      gardens.

      people are
a bit like that.

now that we
   hardly ever 
      see them,

      we can 
appreciate
the beautiful
   variety.

Heliconia Seven

   a favorite, it 
      grows in a
warm place,
   somewhere
i've never been.

      several years 
have gone now
   and there may
be no way back.

exotic and bright,
   it pleased me:
   something so 
strange and
      wonderful.

   tropical sun
powers colour
to overwhelm

my temperate
   vision, and
i am almost
      blinded.

Ladybug, ladybug

   small predators
can do amazing
      damage to a
colony of aphids.

   reclaiming 
      our roses,
      from a very 
bad invasion,

      one morning,
just before sunrise,
one summer day,

   as i applied the
small paintbrush
      painting hope
onto dying roses.

      a company of 
    tiny carnivores,
assured of victory, 
      as I finished, 

   almost before 
a slaughter of 
      the aphids, 

   a quick feast
for ladybugs 

Guishichan

see where i've been
   a vibrant garden,
      it all stands still
this coloured scene.

hurtle through
    the sky, some
summer day

   five hundred 
miles per hour,
      so they say.

      a garden has
some mystery, 
a latent threat,

a body buried
   somewhere,
   no regrets.

   a virus, all
invisible has
   murdered
peace of mind.

estranging friend
   from friend, who
   could not stand
comfortably close,

to share those
   all important
      confidences

social creatures
   mad monkeys
      in a riot,

   how can the
      centre hold,
it's never quiet.

see where i've been
   a vibrant garden,
   it all stands still
this coloured scene.

Rosemary

Rosemary

almost december,
i dug, as she said.

   take up the
      rosemary,
out of the bed.

      i dug as
directed, she
knows what 
   she wants

   dug up the 
      herbs, put 
them in pots.

winter, you see
will be coming
      by soon, 

and cold will get
nasty, far beyond
      gruesome.

   but her herbs
      in a pot and
under our lights, 

should live all 
      the winter
      and into 
the spring.

Bow to Autumn

      sunflowers
bow to autumn
      ripening 
   just in time

   for little birds 
celebrating ripe 
      sunflowers.
   winds ring
      our big
wind chime.

   i look out 
the window
      watching 
      those birds,

   and see them
thrown about 
   by the wind
      like leaves
dancing with
      a breeze.

the sunflower's 
      gone now,
   harvested
   and dry.
little birds have 
   moved on;
little wings 
      will fly.

October Magnolia

   look again, as
chilly rain drops 
from a dark gray
      sky, as we
watch slow decay
   and walk on by.

   magnolias do 
   a good show
   in the spring.
fabulous flowers
      never last
long enough.

   by october,
there is little
semblance 
      of what it 
   used to be. 
no flowers left.

a sudden frost,
and then we see
      even leaves
   can survive
just so much:
    all must fall.

      we wait for
winter blizzards,
   to waken in
   icy mornings
to see shocking
white snowdrifts,

to watch warm
   pillows falling,
   changing our
      frozen world,
transforming
every landscape.

Virginia Creeper 2

Virginia Creeper 2

virginia creeper
      on a black 
chain-link fence.


we would never
   have believed that
it would ever
      look like that.

   but now, we've
thought about it, 
      and every year
it looks like this.

      that, this and
the other. it comes
   back each year.
   more vivid than
i'd have thought.

someday, perhaps,
i'll learn to
trust my eyes.


virginia creeper
      on a black 
chain-link fence.