I've had a busy week, but I do have a new ArtSpeak:RED poem to share with you. This one inspired by a Mary Cassatt painting. I just knew this girl had a story to tell... enjoy!
Call Me Zinnia
If you must
compare me
to a flower,
make it
a summer-
loving zinnia.
I may not
sport bright
petals,
but I am
hard-working,
practical.
I won't wilt
in the heat.
Go ahead,
call me
Zinnia,
and watch
my smile
bloom!
- Irene Latham
... and now dear Poetry Friday friends, what flower would YOU prefer to be compared to?
Me? I'd say "violet," but that's probably because I'm a February girl... but there's a lot of meaning there to love.
Oh, what a wonderful question! There are so many flowers special to me now because of what they meant to people in my life that are gone from me now. I cannot look at a Blue Iris without thinking of my grandmother or a gladiola without thinking of how much joy they gave my grandfather after he was widowed. I've always been partial to Brown-eyed Susans and Daisies...wanted Tiger Lillies for my wedding but was told that they wouldn't hold up for an arrangement. Just look at the argument I'm having with myself here. So fun...all from a girl called Zinnia.
ReplyDeleteThe red of that zinnia really POPS, doesn't it? I wrote a violet poem for Violet: https://vnesdolypoems.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/a-poem-about-my-name/ I might like to be compared to lavender. xo
ReplyDeleteI have packets of zinnia seeds right here. My grandmother grew them and this summer I will grow them. I think you could have called her Zinnia and maybe me too.
ReplyDeleteLove reading about the violet, Irene, you! And I love the expression on that woman's face, so contemplative looking at the zinnia. Your poem feels just right for her thoughts. My birth flower is the marigold, & it feels like it fits. I am mostly positive all the time, try to be happy with others. Thanks for bringing this up, haven't thought about it in a long while!
ReplyDeleteI love Cassat’s art and your poem inspired by her work is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what flower I would compare myself to— that will take some thought. But I do know I love zinnias... and the smile on my face after reading your poem. :)
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful art + poem pairing, Irene. Had to smile at your description of her being hard-working and practical. That's one sturdy woman in the painting! It's fun to ponder what she might be contemplating with that flower in her hand.
ReplyDeleteAs for me? My birth month flower is the chrysanthemum, which I don't identify with, particularly, because in some cultures, it symbolizes death. I wouldn't mind being compared to pink roses since I carried those on my wedding day. :)
This was an inspiring post, with the painting and the poem. As for me, I would be a daffodil. Yellow is my favorite color, and their timing is always right to bring some cheer in the early spring. ~ Carol ~ At The Apples in My Orchard.
ReplyDeleteOoh this might be a #poemsofpresence in the future...What flower...hard question. I will have to think...sunflowers, fuchsias, poppies.
ReplyDeleteI could call you any number of things, Irene, (Including Laura!🤪🤦🏼♀️😂) and all of them would mean warm and wonderful! (Including Laura!😍)
ReplyDeleteI've never thought in terms of me and a flower... but if I was a bird, I'd be a brolga! Hmmm... Mayhaps I'd be a cosmos🌸 - I love how they stand feathery tall, with their vibrant faces - and happily share the space with other flower clusters. A tulip🌷 would be lovely, too - but I think they're a bit too perfect coiffed for me! Either way, I'd hope my smile would bloom! xx
Your poem's lovely Irene, it feels like it's been around forever–a poem we're all familiar with, and works so well with the painting. I like your red in the poem's title too. Yes, violets are lovely, as are you. My birth flower is lily of the valley, and I love their fragrant scent. I didn't know till today that they represent, "sweetness, humility, and a return to happiness." May has another flower, the hawthorn plant, and it represents hope, I wouldn't mind being compared to either of these, thanks! xo
ReplyDeleteI love zinnias and marigolds. So hardy and practical. They are the garden flowers of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem! Hmmm...Tulips are my favorite, but I'd probably rather be compared to some quick-growing, wandering vine of a flower, as I'm always on the move, both mentally and physically...
ReplyDeleteI love it! This post has a zinnia poem in it: https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2012/02/poetry-friday-flowers.html
ReplyDeleteA good question to ponder. Today I would say iris, but that could change! Love this ekphrastic poem... thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem, Irene! My birth flower is carnation. I do like those, but I especially love peachy-pink roses. : )
ReplyDeleteI planted Zinnias with my daughters every summer when they were little. Your poem reminds of those times. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteThinking about your question, Irene. Since I loved dancing and twirling in my Nonnie's rose garden, perhaps I would like to be colored by this perfume, delicate flower or maybe I would like the bounty of the gardenia with fresh broad arrangement of flowers and leaves along with the intoxicating aroma. I do like your Zinnia poem that reminds us of the soon-to-summer.
ReplyDelete