The Eclectic Pen - My Mother's Nasturtiums

By: Maggie M. + 3 more
Date Submitted: 3/30/2007
Last Updated: 5/7/2007
Genre:
Words: 27
Rating:

My Mother's Nasturtiums

Bent like a carpenter
or an artist, crafting
her pleasures, hot
splashes, delicate
runes of orange along the path

and behind her
in the dark house
little fires in all the rooms

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Comments 1 to 8 of 8

Paul H. (nessus19) - , - 3/30/2007 2:09 AM ET

Maggie: Little fires in all the rooms would not quite make for a dark house...perhaps not even as a symbolic imagery for something deeper. That trivial comment out of the way, I quite enjoyed your poem with its wonderful use of metaphor and evocative phrases. You endowed this poem with thought and emotion; or so it seems to me. "...delicate runes of orange along the path" -- beautiful. Thank you for giving me something delightful and engaging to read this evening. I genuinely love this line.

IONE L. (zaneygraylady) - 3/30/2007 2:31 PM ET

beautiful

Marta J. (booksnob) - 3/30/2007 4:25 PM ET

Gorgeous.

Maggie M. - 3/31/2007 2:13 AM ET

Thanks for reading, you three. And Paul, I wonder: are you a professor? Just curious. Anyway, I appreciate your thoughtful analysis--though I can't entirely agree about the dark house. I hesitate to bring it up for fear of sounding defensive, but a "little fire" the size of a bowl of nasturtiums wouldn't do much to dispel the darkness, and I mean this strictly on the physical level. What say you? Maggie

Paul H. (nessus19) - , - 3/31/2007 2:18 AM ET

Maggie: Right you are. As I said (and feel more acutely in retrospect), it was a trivial point on my part. The important thing is your poem stirred something in me; it brought my closer to another person's experience and perspective. Thanks again for your contribution. And, no, I am not a professor...though I have worked in academic settings in a professional and instructional capacity. Wishing you the best, Paul

Terre M. - 4/2/2007 6:09 PM ET

What a lovely picture you painted. Thank you

Marta J. (booksnob) - 4/6/2007 10:40 AM ET

Addendum--I see the "little fires" as a segue from the orange nasturtiums to the orange of the flames. Definitely works for me.

Kristine S. (NHBookLover) - 4/6/2007 6:18 PM ET

However meant (and I agree here with Marta) this is such a lovely little poem. Quite a lot said in just a few words. Nasturtiums are beautiful flowers and this is a beautiful poem. Kris

Comments 1 to 8 of 8

The Eclectic Pen - My Mother's Nasturtiums

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