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Johnny jump-up. Lady’s slipper.
Jack-in-the-pulpit. Knew
them all, didn’t you?
Knew you!
Little blue flower that to my shame
I forget how to name, never failed
to remind you of a Wedgewood blue
pitcher with six matching cups
you spied in a shop ‘long a Liverpool
lane. Nose fogged the glass. So
did Mum’s, didn’t it? Sea-green
petals of a March bloomer took you right
back to the boat saved you and Mum
and Da from the shame of starving,
what with shipbuilders hurting
and a pub never far. Blood blossoms,
you refused to blame for bringing
back the hurt of being torn by Da
before you were big enough to go
to school. Nothing Mum could do
except sew you a doll out of rags.
Fell off the boat, didn’t it? Drowned
in a wave this big. Landed, a man
stole your name. Lily isn’t proper,
bloke says. Answer to Lillian
from now on. L-i-l-l-i-a-n.
All that washed behind
every spring. Flowers loved
to grow for you, you for them.
Mum’s gift, wasn’t it?
One-room-schooled too little,
married too early and too long,
you survived by farming hard
on a shoestring and believing
the lord saved. Tom thumb, hen
and chicks, bird’s foot, lamb’s
ear, snapdragon, black-eyed susan,
Forget-me-not!
(c) Phyllis Jean Green, 2007
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| Reviewed by Elizabeth Price |
9/27/2007 |
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| Darn, this poem blew my mind. You stuff more life in one line and that goes on line after line. What a story. an epic poem here. Excellent. Liz |
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| Reviewed by Tinka Boukes |
9/10/2007 |
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A powerful offering!!
Love Tinka |
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| Reviewed by Karen Vanderlaan |
9/9/2007 |
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| incredibly penned story of loss then thriving in spite of early degredation--oh how we work to restore what we have lost, i love this write-it is poignant and full of depth |
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| Reviewed by Sherry Heim |
9/8/2007 |
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How strange is it, Pea that when so much negativity is thrown at us when we are young that we make up for it with whatever we can that is positive...flowers, and for me, a bountiful vegetable garden as well as fruit trees...those are the memories of my childhood. It is so rare that I think about the bad things, but it is often that I recall those things that brought me joy, comfort and hope. This is a stellar write, Pea...from rose bud to petals shed, you told a story of a lifetime.
Take care,
Sherry |
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| Reviewed by Sage Sweetwater |
9/8/2007 |
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Feather seed dropped by bird unknown and rose this POWERFUL QUILL amongst these flowers, it did indeed...woman who wrote this poem just blew three boatloads of poets out of the water - south shore lost a little shame - north as in Carolina gained a woman's woman poet who has a natural tendency to lay it all out to make a difference from the damage and assaults - that poet be you, Pea. I am convinced Left Ellis Island Flowerless is a very accurate view from old mind clippings yellowed that didn't make it into the island newspaper, too hush-hush - can't talk about it - now we can, huh?
Love you so much,
Sage |
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| Reviewed by Morning Star |
9/8/2007 |
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many through looking for a better path to fallow and
it sounds to me like she was cheated out of her
Childhood innocence and into a world filled with to many
Responsibilities for a young mind to
Understand and deal with!
Excellent message and beautiful vividness
Beautiful poetic thoughts!!
Love Peace and Hugssss to you..Morning star
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| Reviewed by Dale Clark |
9/8/2007 |
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Oh such a great poem. I feel special
just reading it. Thanks Pea! |
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| Reviewed by Karen Palumbo |
9/8/2007 |
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A wonderful portrait painted with spectacular expressions of a time left behind. Many passedd through Ellis Island and so many remain nameless, my family included.
Be safe,
Karen |
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| Reviewed by Felix Perry |
9/8/2007 |
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This is such a colourful bit of history with an immigrant child too young stripped of innocence and the beauty of family life to be dropped into a world unknown to young eyes. Great stuff for sure...
Fee |
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| Reviewed by Aberjhani |
9/8/2007 |
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Always admire your skill for compressing an entire life complete with historical framework, ancestral implications, and depths of individual personality and destiny, into one tightly constructed brilliantly penned masterwork of a poem. Gracias.
Aberjhani |
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| Reviewed by Jerry Bolton (Reader) |
9/8/2007 |
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| So much here that is insider stuff . . . Still, the hope of life prevades throughout the poem and you write like I like to read . . . Bits and pieces, but all together make a whole . . . VERY good . . . |
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| Reviewed by Karla Dorman, The StormSpinner |
9/8/2007 |
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(((Pea)))
O, this is powerfully penned: hope springs (pun intended) for the new arrivees to American shores. Beautiful.
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla. |
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| Reviewed by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado |
9/8/2007 |
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Good one, Pea; very well done! BRAVA!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D |
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