birdbaths of stone and stone steps leading no where.
My grandmother's peonies
and
their intoxicating aroma
bring me back to her arms
and
long summer days with sunshine
that stretched from
earliest in the morning
until late in the evening
I remember sitting on the floor looking
out of the window
seeing that bird bath of stone
and
stone steps leading no where
the greyness of the stone punctuated by
pink and white
the petals pink and white
tightly wound together
bound together
slowly opening
to spread that intoxicating
aroma up and around
that bird bath of stone
and
stone steps leading no where
She'd gather us around
and show us her joy
and tell stories of each flower
as we walked those stone steps
that went no where
we would stop at each plant
and she would show us
their beauty
"The ants too are needed"she'd say
With out them the bird bath of stone
and the stone steps leading no where
would be
without color
without joy
without memories of the stone steps that
went no where.
