I was saddened by the events in the Northeast area as I watched the devastation that Hurricane Sandy caused for so many.  So I played some music; worked on my presentation for the upcoming workshop that I will be conducting this weekend; and pulled out one of my poems that I wrote about my mom’s garden. It always seems to cheer me up and reminds me that you can find hope in a garden. My prayers  continue for the folks up north. Much love.

Ma’s Enchanted Garden on the Little Corner Lot

I drove from Miami

from the condo buildings

from the city life that is surrounded by

more concrete than trees.

I drove to Orlando

to my mother’s house

to the quite of the suburbs

and homemade iced-teas.

I pulled in the driveway

remembering to

apply the emergency brakes;

I didn’t want my car to

end up in the lake.

My Ma’s house sits

on a hill in the midst

of a third of an acre lot.

It is surrounded by

her inviting garden with

flowers, trees, and bees

on this corner lot.

A manicured lawn

edged, trimmed and mowed

 is the first to greet you.

It is quite composed,

decked out with

shrubs of Indian Hawthorne

Viburnum and Holly

including the

Double Knockout Rose.

Right of the house

are  loquat,  oleander

and crepe myrtle trees;

all gently swaying in

the warm summer breeze

providing shade from

the glaring sun’s degrees.

Graceful Gladiolus

Stately Sunflowers

Texas Petunias

Day Lilies and

Amaryllis are

rooted on display

left of the house;

preening in their

beauty  a part of

nature’s bazaar

The back garden,

Ma’s pride and joy

is filled with fruit:

avocados, oranges, tangerines, peaches

pineapples, guavas, mangos, sugar cane

strawberries, cherries and grapefruit

It has vegetables and herbs;

peppers, scallions, onions,

cabbages, callaloo, yams,

coco, rosemary  and thyme

all nurtured and primed

Inter mixed with the

Canna Lilies, Oleanders

 Impatiens and Marigolds

On any given day,

You can hear the tinkling

Of the wind chimes

See the twirling

Of the plastic windmills

Hear the running

Of the water in the fish pond

Watch the dancing

Of the birds in their bath

All enter in this place

blue jays, cardinals, humming birds

owls, doves, all sorts of birds;

bees, butterfly and lady bugs,

lizards, frogs, worms, benign insects,

gold fish and mire humans.

But all are not welcomed

feral cats, bobcats, squirrels, slugs,

snakes, mosquitoes, spiders

all considered outsiders.

Ma’s enchanted garden on

this little corner lot

is filled with

such magic

the magic of nature

the magic of nurture

the magic of life and love

by

Marlene M. Bryan

6/16/2011