Seed Of Dreams

Milkweed seeds send my imagination into flight.

It must be their soft white hairs

and the way they cling to their mother's shell

as they dance with every passing breeze.

They remind me of children.

As a parent,

I can't help but see

the caramel-coloured husk

as a home,

with all the children tucked safely inside,

protected from the harshness of the weather.

It will take a determined gust of wind

to finally pull them free.

They'll soar into the sky,

giddy with their freedom,

sparkling in the sunlight,

on their way to new opportunities.

The parent's job is done.

Remember,

we gave them wings

so they can fly.

The Secret Garden

I know of a garden, you might know one too,

It hides a big secret, as all gardens do.

There's magic in this place, and wonders to be found.

Creatures pass through it, with barely a sound.

They don't say too much, they're busy you see,

They're not in the garden to entertain me.

To each flower they fly, in a blinding zoom,

They're making sure, each plant will bloom.

Some inch along, wearing fabulous fur,

They must eat a lot, so transformation can occur.

Others lay out traps, and then run to hide,

Only when it rains can you see the gems inside.

At the end of every day there shines a special light,

Made of all different colours, so beautiful and bright.

That's the secret of a garden, tell others if you dare,

Understand that if you do, they will want to join you there.

The Personalities Of Pink

Sometimes pink arrives with trumpets.

Deep and throaty,

they shout out from

the back of the garden.

Their personality is unmistakeable;

tall and stately,

they command my attention.

Sometimes pink arrives with a twinkle,

with a momentary flash

that catches my eye,

as if a fairy has suddenly fluttered by.

Did I really see it?

Or, was it just my imagination?

Sometimes pink plays tricks on me.

It hides behind things,

choosing objects that are transparent,

invisible, 

then takes on their form,

like this spider's web.

Sometimes pink has a job to do.

It colours the petals

that create this fortress,

to hide, from potential thieves,

a fortune of

sun-infused jewels.

Sometimes pink attracts things

that like sweetness,

like bees and wasps

and flies

...and

me!

And sometimes pink arrives

without a sound.

I notice the garden is quiet,

serene, peaceful

and calm.

That's how I know

pink has

arrived.

A Mysterious Life

Life is mysterious.

It's not straight and easy to navigate.

It's not easy to see all,

or know all.

It's full of curious characters.

Some are obvious,

while others are hidden,

 to be discovered along the way.

There are many bends in the road.

Part of life is clear and right in front of you

but who knows what lies ahead.

And that's what makes it interesting.

There are shocks and surprises

as we battle danger and adversity.

There is friendship and love

in the connections we make along the way.

We build on what we learn.

Life is fragile and precious

and that's what makes it valuable.

Cherish each moment.

Lit From Within

The sun intensifies.

It's yellow light

makes everything glow

as if lit from within.

Cicadas and crickets buzz and click

filling the air with their non-stop, jazzy tempo

and sweat trickles down the small of my back

with the smallest of movements

...or no movement at all.

Garden chores have to wait

as I sip drinks stacked full of ice cubes,

And watch everything around me grow

and ripen,

knowing that fall is but a step away.

The Last One

It's sad but true,

that when we have something in abundance

we can become nonchalant about it.

For a number of reasons

(mainly raccoons)

I rarely have more

than one or two lily pad flowers each summer.

I'm starting to think this is a good thing.

Because they are scarce,

I drool over each stage of their development.

From just barely visible under water

to the emerging bulb,

until finally, they are the gorgeous,

pink, multi-petalled, floating beauty you see here.

I'm happy they are so rare

because this makes me regard them

as precious.

Singing The Blues

There's something special about the colour blue.

In my garden it's a fairly rare colour

so when I see it, I can't help but stop and stare.

The flowers in the first photo, a type of forget-me-not,

were given to me by my youngest son

when he was eight-years-old.

Twelve years later they continue to reseed themselves.

Every time I see their cheerful blue petals

I think of my son

and how sweet it was of him to think of me.

This blue cornflower isn't more than one inch in diameter

but its magnetic shade of blue

can catch my eye from across the yard.

My favourite shade of delphinium,

aptly named Sky Blue.

And the best shade of blue?

Nothing beats a blue sky on a hot summer's day.

Magic Is In The Air

Did you know that flowers exhale magic?

That their blooms light the air?

If you don't believe me,

give one a (gentle) shake

and watch the magic tumble out.

Be Soft

Be Still

Look

And Listen

Find your Spirit

Open your Heart

Be Happy

Red

The colour you can't forget.

It sparks a fire in your eyes

that travels to your heart

and all of a sudden you want to dance.