O at the Edges

Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.

Flowers

Posted on September 13, 2015 by robert okaji

Flowers

How they share our
desires, shape
our days.

Passion to hope,
fingertips to
lips. Some bud

easily, others
struggle. A little
water, light, a kind

voice. Sometimes so
little achieves
so much. Yesterday’s

sunflower droops on
the sill. Today’s promise
arrives with rain.

64 thoughts on “Flowers”

Chagall on September 13, 2015 at 9:54 am said:

Wonderful. Three thumbs-up re: enjambment 🙂 —Chagall

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 10:24 am said:
  
  Thanks, Chagall. There are so many possibilities with each line!
  
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Carisa Adrienne on September 13, 2015 at 10:20 am said:

Bravo : )

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 10:24 am said:
  
  Thank you, Carisa.
  
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john hauge on September 13, 2015 at 10:51 am said:

we have some orchids. five pots worth. two are rather sparse. all of them have convinced me they thrive on neglect and once a week watering. i look forward to next february / march. anyway, nice job, robert.

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 11:23 am said:
  
  I excel at neglect. Unfortunately, our plants do not thrive under such care. And thanks, as always, John.
  
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vjearle on September 13, 2015 at 10:52 am said:

beautiful – I particularly like how you have positioned the words, extending the ideas into the next verse so that dual meaning arises

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 11:23 am said:
  
  Thanks very much.
  
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Autumn Sky on September 13, 2015 at 10:54 am said:

So gorgeous and evocative.

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 11:24 am said:
  
  Thank you.
  
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faatimaishere on September 13, 2015 at 11:07 am said:

Beautiful :p
..always had a special place in my heart for sunflowers. They have a deeper meaning to me and therefore I love them.
Faatima
Xx

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 11:25 am said:
  
  Who could not love them? Thanks for your kind words.
  
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snippetsandticklers on September 13, 2015 at 11:09 am said:

Hi! I really enjoy reading your poems. I would want to put you up on a poetry writing challenge, If interested the details are on my latest post. Thanks!

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 11:26 am said:
  
  Thanks for thinking of me, but I must decline. I recently completed a time-consuming 30-day challenge, and am now working on some neglected projects. But I do appreciate the sentiment.
  
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derrickjknight on September 13, 2015 at 12:04 pm said:

simply eloquent

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 2:01 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Derrick.
  
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cricketmuse on September 13, 2015 at 12:52 pm said:

I just planted some lavender and iris at school. Hmm, purple blooms to cheer the day.

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 2:02 pm said:
  
  We’ve had no luck with lavender, although it grows in the area. But then I’ve a bit of a black thumb.
  
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  - cricketmuse on September 13, 2015 at 3:51 pm said:
    
    I have mounds of it and I started with three little nursery starts about 12 years ago. I have no clue why it likes my yard so well. Sun? Sandy soil? Dunno.
    
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    - robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 3:54 pm said:
      
      In my case, I blame it on neglect. 😦
      
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      - cricketmuse on September 13, 2015 at 5:25 pm said:
        
        Lavender is forgiving. Clip it, water it, and it will soon be happy as a hamster running its wheel.
        
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        robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 6:42 pm said:
        
        I have killed oregano and cactus. But I’m willing to try lavender again!
        
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philsblog01 on September 13, 2015 at 1:03 pm said:

Flowers and poetry, cannot be beat! Nice!

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 2:03 pm said:
  
  They are a terrific combination!
  
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Monica on September 13, 2015 at 1:18 pm said:

essence of flower

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 2:03 pm said:
  
  Oh, yes.
  
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Dr Meg Sorick on September 13, 2015 at 1:33 pm said:

Lovely!

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 2:03 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Meg.
  
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rivrvlogr on September 13, 2015 at 3:31 pm said:

Life’s parallels.

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 3:41 pm said:
  
  If we only look!
  
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  - rivrvlogr on September 13, 2015 at 3:45 pm said:
    
    Indeed!
    
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danielschwamm on September 13, 2015 at 3:48 pm said:

Such elegance in your description. Bravo!

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- robert okaji on September 13, 2015 at 3:54 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Daniel.
  
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  - danielschwamm on September 13, 2015 at 3:55 pm said:
    
    You’re welcome.
    
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gwpj on September 13, 2015 at 7:35 pm said:

I walked by sunflowers this morning, a bright sun shining down. They were so brilliant, with no dark center, just glorious yellow. Your poem puts to words what my experience was an hour or so ago in Sapporo. Thanks for sharing it.

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- robert okaji on September 14, 2015 at 6:41 pm said:
  
  Thanks for sharing your walk, George! I envy you.
  
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distantshipsmoke on September 13, 2015 at 11:01 pm said:

I’ve never done flowers, they’ve been brought up twice this week, I must listen to the universe and get with them it seems.

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- robert okaji on September 14, 2015 at 6:42 pm said:
  
  Yes, it seems you’re receiving a message!
  
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Melisa R on September 14, 2015 at 6:12 pm said:

This is incredibly lovely. I love how pretty your prose looks. Pretty flowers and pretty words.

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- robert okaji on September 14, 2015 at 6:39 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Melisa. Sometimes they go hand in hand.
  
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Flavia Rocha Loures - Poeta on September 16, 2015 at 7:45 pm said:

Lovely, Robert!

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- robert okaji on September 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Flavia. Much appreciated.
  
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Nick Gibbs on September 18, 2015 at 7:56 pm said:

There’s a beautiful balance and flow to this poem, thank you.

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- robert okaji on September 19, 2015 at 7:47 am said:
  
  You’re very generous, Nick. Thank you.
  
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Nadia on September 23, 2015 at 5:13 am said:

This is just lovely, Robert. It so elegantly captures the beauty of gardening. Somehow its simplicity is a perfect emblem of the purity of the joy in a well-grown plant.

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- robert okaji on September 23, 2015 at 12:15 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Nadia. I so often make complicated what should be simple. Or something like that. 🙂
  
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Niel Quchi on September 29, 2015 at 2:09 am said:

Reblogged this on 2nd Daniel.

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- robert okaji on September 29, 2015 at 5:49 am said:
  
  Thanks for reblogging.
  
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Steve Bailey Art on October 5, 2015 at 1:29 pm said:

Quite interesting and insightful. I love your phrase, “Today’s promise arrives with rain.” That simple statement has so many meanings buried within it I am still thinking of more. Just wish South Carolina wasn’t getting so many promises! 🙂

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- robert okaji on October 5, 2015 at 5:36 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Steve. And amen to your statement on South Carolina’s problems!
  
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Inside the Mind of Isadora on October 5, 2015 at 11:46 pm said:

Lovely flowing words … wonderful.

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2015 at 5:51 am said:
  
  Thank you, Isadora. Much appreciated.
  
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penneyvanderbilt on October 6, 2015 at 6:02 am said:

Reblogged this on Ancien Hippie.

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2015 at 12:22 pm said:
  
  Thanks for reblogging!
  
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amanpan on October 6, 2015 at 10:33 am said:

Well done. I love the way you positioned the words.

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2015 at 12:23 pm said:
  
  The words occasionally need a little help. 🙂
  
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Margaret Lynette Sharp on October 8, 2015 at 6:31 am said:

Delightful 🙂 Exudes class!

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- robert okaji on October 8, 2015 at 7:49 am said:
  
  Thank you, Margaret.
  
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Mowafag on October 8, 2015 at 9:25 am said:

Beautiful

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- robert okaji on October 10, 2015 at 2:27 pm said:
  
  Thank you.
  
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GirlWhoThinksSheCanWrite on October 10, 2015 at 12:43 pm said:

I love the last line.

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- robert okaji on October 10, 2015 at 2:27 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much.
  
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Soul Gifts on October 12, 2015 at 8:26 am said:

Awesome photo, great poem. Thanks for you visit to my blog too by the way 🙂

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- robert okaji on October 12, 2015 at 9:00 am said:
  
  Thanks very much. The photo is from morguefile.com, the source for most of the good photos on this blog. 🙂
  
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