Showing posts with label The neighbourhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The neighbourhood. Show all posts

Saturday, 11 April 2020

The language of flowers

Today's prompt "is based on the concept of the language of flowers." We are challenged "to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings." We may make use of the recommended glossary of flower meanings or create our own meanings. I like the traditional meanings, so I'm going to use them.


The neighbourhood

Cobæa creeps over the walls,
through fences
and onto balconies

But my garden grows
white chrysanthemums
and 
bluebells

I refuse to speak 
under the white cherry trees,
or lie beneath the bladder nut tree

I will not walk among the bugloss,
but among the borus henricus
and beneath the acacias


Andrea Vermaak © 2020




Cobæa = gossip
White chrysanthemums = truth
Bluebells = constancy
White cherry tree = deception
bladder nut tree = frivolity, amusement
Bugloss = falsehood
Borus henricus = goodness
Acacia = friendship