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Random thoughts, planning a new year
[center]Tonight, I thought about the first cat
I owned and raised when I was a child.
A black kitten with six toes on each paw
that Mom saved from the pound and gave me.
And the lemon tree that grew in the rear of
my parents' backyard.
I could never climb that tree
full of wicked thorns that pricked my flesh.
So why did I think of the cat and the tree
on this particular night?
They came to me in a fog, which
should've made me sad, after all.
Five years later, I'd found her by the
side of the house in a pile of dried leaves.
I carried her to the back and sat vigil
under the lemon tree until she died.
It made me wonder just then. Is it always
like this, to romanticize years later.
I start to plan in my head a new place,
a retreat where my love and I could live.
My cane laid aside, my pale legs
stretch thin, reflecting rain that clings to,
then weeps down a window by a street lamp,
I sit on the floor, scouring through
scattered catalogs for furnishings,
hand-picked by the hour, a virtual tour,
arranging, mulling over and re-doing.
From page to mind's eye, the myriad:
of goblets & plates, the linens & drapes
'round tables and chairs, a bed with
down pillows, and lamps on their stands.
Finely milled soap & towels in the bath
where inside we'll soak there for hours.
And then it comes to me,
the lemon tree from when I was young,
and why I'm so fond of it now.
How its fruit made my mom's kitchen sing,
with pitchers of fresh cold lemonade, and
baked trays of decadent lemony things.
You know, how you do.[/center]
I owned and raised when I was a child.
A black kitten with six toes on each paw
that Mom saved from the pound and gave me.
And the lemon tree that grew in the rear of
my parents' backyard.
I could never climb that tree
full of wicked thorns that pricked my flesh.
So why did I think of the cat and the tree
on this particular night?
They came to me in a fog, which
should've made me sad, after all.
Five years later, I'd found her by the
side of the house in a pile of dried leaves.
I carried her to the back and sat vigil
under the lemon tree until she died.
It made me wonder just then. Is it always
like this, to romanticize years later.
I start to plan in my head a new place,
a retreat where my love and I could live.
My cane laid aside, my pale legs
stretch thin, reflecting rain that clings to,
then weeps down a window by a street lamp,
I sit on the floor, scouring through
scattered catalogs for furnishings,
hand-picked by the hour, a virtual tour,
arranging, mulling over and re-doing.
From page to mind's eye, the myriad:
of goblets & plates, the linens & drapes
'round tables and chairs, a bed with
down pillows, and lamps on their stands.
Finely milled soap & towels in the bath
where inside we'll soak there for hours.
And then it comes to me,
the lemon tree from when I was young,
and why I'm so fond of it now.
How its fruit made my mom's kitchen sing,
with pitchers of fresh cold lemonade, and
baked trays of decadent lemony things.
You know, how you do.[/center]
Published 16th Dec 2016
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16th Dec 2016 5:01am
Such a beautiful read... from the first line to the last...
It's the time of the year (I always find myself a bit melancholic)
It's the time of the year (I always find myself a bit melancholic)
16th Dec 2016 8:54pm
Aah dear Duende, I can relate with such moods during holidays, though it swings the other way at times. Mostly underlying melancholy as I sort of feel right now. But I'm glad for your embrace of this write, written while surrounded by such a cloud.
With warmest expressions to you, with much affection,
ever
Jade xo
With warmest expressions to you, with much affection,
ever
Jade xo
16th Dec 2016 8:08am
Beautiful piece, the first lines actually reminded me a lot of how I got my first pet. Thank you for sharing such a touching piece.
~anonshadow😏
~anonshadow😏
16th Dec 2016 9:02pm
Thank you, friend Anon, for your expression & embrace; so touching & meaningful to me.
ever
Jade🌾
ever
Jade🌾
16th Dec 2016 12:57pm
Sitting there
with you
lost in time,
thinking of the Meyer Lemons
picked yesterday,
sitting, waiting to be
something
their peels steeped
with fresh ginger
to be added to
the herbal cold potions
to heat and sooth the soul
sipped from special cups
ordered for just such...
wait, where was I?
thinking of the smell
of lemon and ginger
oh, and black cats...
tommy
with you
lost in time,
thinking of the Meyer Lemons
picked yesterday,
sitting, waiting to be
something
their peels steeped
with fresh ginger
to be added to
the herbal cold potions
to heat and sooth the soul
sipped from special cups
ordered for just such...
wait, where was I?
thinking of the smell
of lemon and ginger
oh, and black cats...
tommy
Ah dear Tommy, those Meyer lemons. How I envy you knowing & having such ability to make your own remedies & home recipes (remember the apple sauce from apples you picked yourself?). And...
you mention the smell of black cats. I remember how she smelled, warm from laying out in the morning sun.
I had a photo on my computer of her as a kitten with those extra-wide 6-toed paws, but I can't find it lately. If I do I'll send it.
-pacing tig🐯
you mention the smell of black cats. I remember how she smelled, warm from laying out in the morning sun.
I had a photo on my computer of her as a kitten with those extra-wide 6-toed paws, but I can't find it lately. If I do I'll send it.
-pacing tig🐯
16th Dec 2016 6:44pm
16th Dec 2016 8:57pm
Thank you, dear Ahavati, for the encouragement, and support.
always,
Jade🎏
always,
Jade🎏
18th Dec 2016 9:52am
A little glimpse of memories, beautifully written. I enjoy the versatility of your poetry, each one holding its own different meanings...
