Friday, August 26, 2011

Friday Flowers: Colors


Heritage Court (Red)

A Love Song

What have I to say to you
When we shall meet?
Yet—
I lie here thinking of you.

The stain of love
Is upon the world.
Yellow, yellow, yellow,
It eats into the leaves,
Smears with saffron
The horned branches that lean
Heavily
Against a smooth purple sky.

There is no light—
Only a honey-thick stain
That drips from leaf to leaf
And limb to limb
Spoiling the colours
Of the whole world.

I am alone.
The weight of love
Has buoyed me up
Till my head
Knocks against the sky.

See me!
My hair is dripping with nectar—
Starlings carry it
On their black wings.
See, at last
My arms and my hands
Are lying idle.

How can I tell
If I shall ever love you again
As I do now?



Heritage Court (Purple)

This poem has always filled me with dread. The imagery, the sound of the words, the uncertainty of the closing line, these all combine to make for a very unromantic impression of love. It's unpleasant. . .

Heritage Court (Orange)

BTW, these flowers are from Heritage Court, a park in Redondo Beach. It's a nice place. The local community museum has photos from the early days of the South Bay. It's up atop a hill that overlooks the South Bay lowlands, including Torrance and Lomita. On a clear day, it feels like you can see all the way to Orange County. ;-)

Back to the topic of unhappiness and love, ten years ago Alicia Keys' Fallin' topped the US charts. The music expresses her feelings of love with sorrow and anxiety.




Enjoy?

No comments:

Post a Comment