Poetry Pages

November
(Euonymus Alatus)

First frost, and they erupt into flames,
foliage lapping at streams of wind
that blends the bitterness of their orange berries
with the iced scent of November air.

Among my wilted cabbage roses they burn, taunting
from the place I plucked them
last spring. I thought I’d murdered them for sure,
holding each up like a scalped trophy,
but they sprout two and four where there was only one before.

Standing on my porch deck I ponder them,
the fire of their leaves crackles,
speaks the deistic vernacular of Gods.
I make a stubborn Moses, refuse to listen,
even when snows extinguish their flames
before they camouflage in the strewed greens of April.

They foretell of a time they’ll inherit my garden,
their planted seeds stir, inch up for breathe.

1st Draft
Charlotte, NC
11/7/2008

I love the resiliency of weeds at the same time I decry it... lol. Good to see you.

I hadn't even notied it was about 'unwanted flowers' until Heinzs mentioned it in his post. I started out looking for weaknesses in the poem itself but then as I read I recognised the scences so familiar to me.

I became engrossed and enjoyed the seasons and the effort and love one feels for ones garden. I entered your garden for a brief visit and wished it was longer and with more words for me to dwell on and savour and in your poem we now become friends who share an interest in gardens and the telling of them.

Snorple (it's just an Internet name of no value other than to serve as a name of sorts.)

Hi!

Love it:
I really love the contrasting image in the first line

First frost, and they erupt into flames,

and later in even

when snows extinguish their flames

This line really grabbed me:

with the iced scent of November air.

Suggestions:
I would include more of this great contrasting imagery. You do a great job of blending the "shock" of the changing seasons by integrating harsh opposites onto the same line (as I pointed out above). This is great - consider working with it more! Those are my favorite parts :)

Questions
What is the tone that you are trying to strike toward the plant? The season? I think in a few more readings I might settle on an answer to my own questions, but I was just wondering what your intentions were...

I have an appreciation for gardening poems. I got up an took another look at mine for the day, then read yours again. I enjoyed it...