Poem For a Flower

Cherry

By Bee

Mon, 14 Sep 2015
  • 3252 reads
18 comments
 

I wrote a poem for a flower, forgetting 

refugees; 'the migrants' -

couldn't take it in - but saw the lonely 

wilting in its bed, picked it 

by the tender stem and briefly mourned 

its earthly separation.



Petals drooped so soon and fell - 

a waste to take it out before its time, 

but all the people marching by 

might have crushed it under foot;

trod it down, so me, I took it home 

and pressed it in a book for life.



Our future rests upon us taking care 

of nature, right? It's refugees 

and migrants we can't find a way 

to deal with - understand -



flowers still look pretty, though really 

only dead once pressed - 

that's sad. 



People on the other hand,

oppressed, the old, the young, 

in desperation, persecution, hunger, 

sickness, fear and dying by the way -

no comparison.

Certificate 12
Poem
Unclassified

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

For most of us, it's one by one we can show kindness and love. A bit like your concern for one flower. And who knows what one such act might inspire, here and in those lands being fled? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Bee on

I hope you are right, Rhiannon. 

Thank you.

Bee

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

If you can save just one flower, then you've done your bit, that's how I see we can take care of our fellow man. You look after your family and love them dearly, that's all anyone can ask...well that's how I see it anyway.

I agree with you about nature, we must guard and protect what we have. When we moved into the house we live in now, people said. 'you've got this huge garden, you could do so much with it, but I insisted that the garden belonged to the creatures big and small, so we left it wild, with trees and hedges, and lawn and wild flowers in summer. It may look a mess to some, but for me it's somewhere for those creatures that visit to call home or a place of rest.

You have such a good heart Bee, it shows in your writing which shines through always.

Jenny. xx

 

Submitted by Bee on

Hi Jenny.

If only we could save just one flower... I don't think we'll ever feel we've done our bit, though. 

Thank you for reading and thoughtful comments. Your garden sounds like a little piece of paradise. 

 

Bee

Submitted by VeraClark on

This is so apt and carefully arranged. That flower, that single human, how easily crushed but how esily helped, too. Worked with unaccompanied asylum seeking children from the point of dispersal - straight from lorry to hostel. All those one acts, all those tiny little acts of kindness went a long way. This poem reminded me of that, odds stacked, what we can do, what we won't do.

 

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks Vera, for reading with such care. So hard to see past the enormity and realize it's not just crowds, but individual lives, and each act of kindness counts. I'd love to hear about your work with the children. Imagine a child (amongst so many) arriving unaccompanied. I can't.

Bee

Submitted by maggyvaneijk on

Such a powerful interpretation of current events, it's beautiful, whilst also putting everything in perspective. 

 

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks for reading, and for your kind comments, Maggy.

Bee

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

That's a brilliant poem. What a thought. 

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

That's a brilliant poem. What a thought. 

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

That's a brilliant poem. What a thought. 

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks AE.

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

'To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower'...It seems William Blake would agree with you, dear Bee, and if only a few more of us could, there might just be a glimmer of hope out there.

Wonderful poem.

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks Tina.

Bee

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Bee

I like your use of the flower to give more emphasis to your thoughts about how the migrants are being treated. Nicely done.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks Jean.

Bee

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I am really sorry, but I had no time recently to read in detail. I've been building a wall for a friend (tiling it with facing bricks actually) When I got home I was too tired to read. It's finished now.

Talking of walls, some people seem to think that is the answer to the problem. Of course it isn't. The problem should have been tackled at scource years ago, but self-interest and cowardiss and too little too late by the US and the UK and the EU and United Nations have allowed Assad, ISIS and Putin to create this awful mess.

Now it's biting the EU on the bum and although the UN has a lot to say, as usual they do nothing and in the end it comes down to individual countries, folks and small towns to help these people.

Your poem sums this up beautifully.

Edx

 

Submitted by Bee on

Sorry for late reply, Ed. Much to think about in your comments here.

Thank you. 

X

Bee