From the Heart
Louise Gibson
My kitchen has always been a busy place
that occupies my days.
It welcomes family and friends alike
And serves in many ways.
It has a picture window
where I often stand to view
the fascinations of nature
while cooking, perhaps, a stew.
I wonder why the Blue Jay
defies the danger of its play,
as he swoops down on the patio
to the cat’s bowl everyday.
I put bird seed in the feeder
so safe up in the tree,
Why he prefers the cat food
is a mystery to me.
And the scrawny little Hibiscus tree
was an epic in the making-
Oft filled with buds that never bloomed
My attention I was forsaking.
As I poured my morning coffee one day,
I glanced, as I always do
to see what nature had in store for me,
my senses to renew.
“Oh, Lord, I can’t believe my eyes.
Is that really a flower I see?
What glorious color, and, oh so proud
is that small Hibiscus tree.
Frost warnings came on the news all day-
“Protect your plants” the newscasters say.
So I spread the mulch over the roots of young trees,
praying, “Keep them all safe, dear Lord, please”.
As I approached the small Hibiscus tree reality set in.
It”s leaves were dry and curled up,
much to my chagrin.
The tree was supported by a tall green stick,
tied with a plastic band
As I reached to straighten the little tree
it broke off in my hand.
The beautiful flower was its Swan Song
It must have known its fate.
It rewarded my window wonder
before it was too late.
Old Things R New 