My Flower Still Blooms (poem) by John Herlihy on AuthorsDen

My Flower Still Blooms
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Sunday, October 1, 2023 Rated "G" by the Author.

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-- My Flower Still Blooms -- By John Herlihy In the fulness of day my flower still blooms, My petals unfold, my face the sun grooms. In the flower’s heart lies its essential seed, Such sweet nectar never found in a weed. Intrigued, who arrives, the restless butterfly, Buzzing bees in search of honey do their fly-by. Feeding on the life-blood with such Intimacy, Privileged to partake in depths of this mystery. In the misty dawn light, I raise my sleepy head, By the air and the sun and the morning dew fed. Attentive as all things in nature to fulfill my duty, Make ready for the moment to display my beauty. Yet the day is diminished in the passing hours, My raiment begins to lose their special powers. My delicate petals fall to the ground one by one, From light into darkness where shadows be spun. Soon what is left but a darkened crust of the heart, That once bedecked the garden its beauty to impart. An age-old saga whose mystery is repeatedly told, There once lived a simple bud whose petals did unfold. May the day never arrive a flower no longer blooms, Let us cling to the mystery the entire world assumes. So long the folded petals of a bud know how to open, May we keep in our hearts the mystery they betoken. - - - - - - Copyright © John Herlihy Saturday 2 September 2023

Reviewed by Jms Bell

Reviewed on October 22, 2023

SUCH A MARVELOUS WORK...SO INSPIRING, JOHN, THANK YOU! LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Odin odin@aflx.com

Reviewed on October 1, 2023

An often cliched subject, the flower, written about so often that the new reader of poetry might dismiss poetry as nothing but text for greeting cards. Here, you've given proper exposure by your deft and understanding pen of a flower's possibility. Here, you've taken the subject and given us a subtext and text, asking us to respect and cherish Nature's demonstrative example of beauty in many colors and textures. The subtext addresses the human as part of nature as well, and we should take to heart the expectation of Nature that humankind should never feel its void of nutrition of heart from others, or short of stamina of being from the invisible connection of like-energy. For, like the flower, we close our petals at night and recharge for another day. The sadness, for me, is that increasingly, our species is graduating into a 24-hour storm that leaves little time to rejuvenate our essence. Yes, long live the beauty and philosophy of a flower available for so much more than just some color in a vase.

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Amidst the beautiful words, I missed the analogy of aging. But I was not happy that your beautiful first stanza and did with demeaning the weed. Perhaps the greatest source of nectar and fragrances in the natural world.

Whereas the rose pictured is probably sterile with no fragrance at all. I'd rather be a weed than a designer flower.

Ron

Reviewed by Richard Cederberg

Yes.... time diminishes us. Everything. Cell death sucks. IMO, there is a poignant analogy in the subtext about aging and loss. Some of the imagery finds the cracks in my armor. "What is left but a darkened crust of the heart." Yikes. "There once lived a simple bud whose petals did unfold." True of everyone's youth I'm thinking. Enjoyed this, John. r