Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. Kahlil Gibran
In her youth she had many plants in her home. Begonias, African violets, dieffenbachias, spider plants, cactus and ivies. Oh! how she loved them! Those years trying to have children, she treated each one like her baby. Each plant had different needs… watered once a week, some twice, some once a month. All had their special personality, some shied from the sun, others rose with the sun and her prayer plant that folded at night reminding her always to say her prayers before going to sleep. Now she had her mother and this plant to remind her.
One year she adopted a beautiful fern that she kept in her bedroom where it was cooler and visitors might not rub on it. And then, she had babies which took up all her attention. Most of her plants left for foster homes.
Her family moved to a home in the country, where there was room to run and play and plant a huge vegetable garden. She planted marigolds around the vegetables to protect them from unwanted visitors and petunias and begonias in the front flower bed.
That was long ago. She’s moved since then; the children grew up and left. She and her cat look out at her humble herb garden and a mother-in-law tongue sits in the dining room. Now the plant serves her, wagging its tongue and purifies the air.
flowers blossom,
spread their leaves – then,
the sun sets
© Tournesol’15
I wish I can maintain and keep up a garden ~ Plants do need mothering, specially if they have special requirements ~ A wonderful journey of life, told in the eyes of the gardener ~
Life goes on, like the sun setting ~
Thanks for joining us at Haibun Monday ~
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thanks so much, I’m so pleased Bjorn told me about HaibunMonday:)
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PerHaps trueSt
form human
poeTry
is in a Temple
of expression’s
grace
aSnaked..US..
Kahlil Gibran
sees this paint of
greaTest beauty
and thanks GOD
it is still not
erased
from online
poetry of
less than
that..
God lives
in Truth and Light
Naked eYes
wArm ReAl..:)
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Lovely comment, thank you. Moments of grace are often when our muse visits and keeps us busy.
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You are welcome and thanks for the inspiration of your lovely poem..:)
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I’m truly touched this has inspired you.
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Such wisdom in that short verse! I like how the plants are like children and how finally, she lives for herself and gets being served at long last.
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Thank you, writing sometimes opens our eyes…I had not realized that until I looked at my plant:)
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Yes. Getting it outside ourselves is sometimes the best therapist in the world.
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Indeed and it’s free! 😉
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I love how you visualize the life through the flowers.. how they change you, and you change them.. To have them serve you was a wonderful touch, and then there are the sunflower in your name as well, I love that you came and linked up with us.
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Merci bien, Bjorn, for telling me about your Mondays at dversepoets…It is always a bonus getting comments from you and Hammish 🙂
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Ah.. this is only a once in the month event.. first Monday each month, but we have prompts each Tuesday and Thursday as well.
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Well, now I may have to put a note in my calendar to check it then.
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A gentle nostalgic piece that resonates with inner peace. I really enjoyed reading it.
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Thanks so much, Suzanne, for your kind words…I am slow in catching up but I’ll get there:)
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I went through times of much attention to gardening…I immersed myself in it and it gave to me as much as I gave to it. Now, I’m in a dry spell and let my daughter do the tending and “mothering.” Lovely haibun.
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Thanks you, my son does some at his home so I enjoy visiting there especially in the fall with this apple trees:)
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Apple trees…what a treat! 🙂
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beautiful life story through plants…nurturing, mothering and being looked after…a wonderful haibun…love the end haiku with the great truth of life….
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Thank you so much for your comment and your visit.
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Gardening is fulfilling, but time-consuming. And very much like bringing up children. Obviously one’s patience is fully tested in both situations. Thoughtful thoughts Cheryl
Hank
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So true, patience in both situations for sure and also rewarding. Thanks, Hank:)
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A marvellous haibun .. and the inspiration form Gibran is well chosen .. I missed this prompt, but may write for it anyway .. I want to see how dVerse presented haibun.
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It is presented by Bjorn and Hammish:) I`m pleased Bjorn told me about it…I did not know it existed. Now I have to remember the first Monday of each month.
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Ah .. so the first Monday of each month there will be a haibun day .. cool.
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Yes, so perhaps we can nudge each other (rather than Facebook poke) 😉
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I didn’t know that the link didn’t go down in the usual 33 hrs, looking at the prompt this morning I saw it was still up, so wrote one of my haibun this morning for it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention dear!
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Yes, it was such a lovely haibun too, cara!
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Thanks .. I can’t talk right now, I’m off to do my bi-annual “Reuse” service.
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A sweet and poignant piece.
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Thanks so much:)
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As a gardener and plant lover and recent grandmother, I loved this!
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Ah, welcome to the Nana club!!! congratulations…we have brag rights more than parents!
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