Centuries ago the seas concealed cities,
Home to folk who prefered water to air,
Who looked nearly but not fully like we.
One was named Julrane, with ankle length hair
Blue as the water, and eyes of light, deep green.
She lived in Gulfia, near Persia, where
She tended the Citadel’s flower garden.
More plants thrived on the sea bottom back then.
Julrane worked quietly and by herself,
Though she rarely felt alone. She had the plants
To provide a sense of life outside herself,
And spoke to them as she would cousins or aunts.
She’d pot a few sometimes and keep them on shelves
In her room, where they became her confidants.
They were flowers, mostly, with some fruit and weeds.
Her favorites, though, were the wild ones; the weeds.
On her first day she’d been told to remove all
The weeds from the garden. She pulled up one
And it drifted to the garden’s chalky wall
And stuck. Seeing it, she knew what could be done.
Rather than remove she replanted, till all
The wall wore a green trim which she left alone
And let cover the bare, dormant chalk in life.
For this, having seen it, none could give her strife.
Love this!
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Thank you!
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David, so glad you posted! Yay, Julrane! I love her. I have to run but I will be back, reread and comment. Can’t wait 🙂
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Hey David, such a beautiful poem. It transports the reader into an aquatic world filled with flowers, seeds, and weeds. In the Citadel’s flower garden Julrane does not destroy. She silently creates. She never feels alone.
The entire atmosphere is one of a wonderful fairy tale which only the depths of waters and time fully know.
This piece makes for a magnificent read. Gorgeous!
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Thank you and thank you again, G, for such a generous and beautifully worded comment. “The entire atmosphere is one of a wonderful fairy tale which only the depths of waters and time fully know.” You always get right to the core of the piece. I’m glad you got that of the poem. Have a fantastic morning!
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My pleasure, David. It’s a wonderful poem.
Have a great weekend!
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