Chrysanthemums
The smell of
chrysanthemums. He knew
his father’s garden, staked out
in regimented rows; limbs lopped:
and only lonely heads allowed
to reach the open sky, release
their scent. He knew
family funerals; the scent
of shuttered rooms. An open box,
the blooms
of white and bronze
filling the stale air. He grows
a wildlife garden; feverfew
and poppies, plants which know
their place.
Still feels the prick of thorns
and tears, and the smell
of fresh chrysanthemums.
chrysanthemums. He knew
his father’s garden, staked out
in regimented rows; limbs lopped:
and only lonely heads allowed
to reach the open sky, release
their scent. He knew
family funerals; the scent
of shuttered rooms. An open box,
the blooms
of white and bronze
filling the stale air. He grows
a wildlife garden; feverfew
and poppies, plants which know
their place.
Still feels the prick of thorns
and tears, and the smell
of fresh chrysanthemums.
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