The Responsibility of Flowers
“To be a Flower, is profound
Responsibility —”
–Emily Dickinson, Bloom
Bulbs like hidden secrets wake
in yellow, purple, and pink, they celebrate
and wink, just so
the prideful robin sings
a-wing with red-breasted élan
to make Ceres smile
and nod from her abiding place–she knows
mutability is a constant, time fast or slow
circles around, blood-moon nourished,
mothers and daughters
with planted wombs or fallow,
carry on carrying on
waiting for a sprout, a sprig,
a blink of life to flow—they sow–
death reaps.
Now a brave woman curses soldiers with seeds—
never shirking their responsibility,
on your graves sunflowers will thrive and grow!
Tomorrow is the start of poetry month. I’ve signed up for NaPoWriMo, but I will probably not post the poems I write to those prompts because I’m also participating in Paul Brookes’ April Ekphrastic Challenge again, and I will be posting those poems each day.
Today there is an early-bird prompt for NaPoWriMo to use inspiration from Emily Dickinson. I had already used one of the suggested lines recently for a Monday Morning Musings post, so I’ve taken a bit of that post and revised it to share, though still rough, for NaPoWriMo and dVerse Open Link Night.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
I was a little confused. So you wrote this great poem and will be submitting it too? Sorry early morning here. No coffee yet.
Thank you. Well, most journals won’t take a poem that’s on a blog, so probably not for submission. It’s for the dVerse Open Link night and also responds to the prompt for NaPoWriMo.
Lovely verse…but the sunflower ending had a particularly strong resonance with me…
Thank you very much, Ain. I imagine it would.
I wrote the original post just after the invasion started.
Good on you, a real writing challenge. This poem sings and shines. I hope you keep them all just as fresh.
That is such a lovely thing to say, Glenn! Thank you! 💙
I particuarly appreciate your use of the flower metaphor, with the unexpected turn at the end. I wonder if anyone has put together an anthology of war poetry that features flowers.
Thank you, Liz. There have certainly been recent poems with sunflowers and poems with poppies, but I don’t know.
You’re welcome, Merril. There were a lot that came out of WWI, which your poem reminded me of.
There were some excellent poems, so thank you again, Liz!
You’re welcome, Merril!
This is so lovely, Merril! I particularly liked “mothers and daughters
with planted wombs or fallow,
carry on carrying on
waiting for a sprout, a sprig,
a blink of life to flow—they sow–
death reaps.”
And of course the nod to Ukraine.
So you will be writing to NaPoWriMo but not posting on your blog, right!
Thank you so much, Punam. I appreciate your kind words.
I will be posting a daily ekphrastic poem on my blog, so I’m thinking I might save or write to the NaPoWriMo prompts, but keep them as poems to submit. Perhaps I’ll have two collections or some poems to submit by the end of the month!
You are so welcome.
Yes, the problem is once we post a poem on out blog, most journals refuse to consider them for publication. That’s a great idea. 😀
😊
Well crafted.
Thank you.
Beautifully done, Merril, with an ending that leaves us breathless.
Thank you so much, Dale. That’s a lovely comment.
It was a lovely poem! 🙂
💙💙
🧡🧡
Always the circles. (K)
Thank you, Kerfe, yes. . .
Beautifully done Merril.
Thank you, Dwight.
You are welcome!
This certainly sings with the cadences of Dickinson, Merril – well done!
Thank you very much, Ingrid!
I love how the final stanza meaningfully echoes the line you used. Enjoyed this, Merril 🙂
Thank you so much, Sunra!
Beautiful and stunning, Merril
Thank you so very much, Derrick.
Wonderfully written and such a strong endingthat brought me up short.
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much!
Oh thr beauty and power of flowers us so well expressed here Merril!
Now a brave woman curses soldiers with seeds—
never shirking their responsibility,
on your graves sunflowers will thrive and grow!
Oh hell yes!
Thank you so much, Rob! I appreciate your enthusiasm!
Adore this, Merril! I’m just over here scrounging for a poem. I like this one. I’ll pick 3 then my fave, or do you have a fave Sunflower/Ukraine poem…prose?
Whichever you want. Just let me know!
Ghost Light
3:00 am posting.
That’s a lovely opening line, and of course, the sunflowers 🙂
Thank you! 😊
I was pleased with how it turned out from taking part of a “Musings.”
It’s a beauty 🙂
💙
That ending .. wow. i love the thought though so very sad.
Thank you very much.
The ending referenced the woman in Ukraine who actually did that at the start of the war.
Life conquers death since mothers and daughters give a renewal
Yes, thank you.
beautifully woven thank you kindly 💜😊
Thank you very much! 🌻💙