Because you are here

        Because you are here*

        at the very end of the garden

        before it falls to the water

        you have always taken

        the storm in your stride until now

        and the end of the afternoon

        left unpruned

        rose hips sway heavy

        against the first of winter

        losing your vigour early

        overblown

the years are staked

        and stacked against you

        goodbye then

        to all those large and double

        bright red blooms

        in that long row

        of fragrant summer days.

        *Lili Marlane - Floribunda rose

 These poems are from my new collection IN THE APRICOT DARKNESS (view the cover and contents below in my recent posts). They are now being published individually, daily under 'recent posts' on my blog and will be available shortly as an eBook that can be read online or downloaded for free.