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
