-Freedom

the tamed flowers
Held at bay
By a civilized vase
are the greenhouse type.
They smell the way they should,
and the tiger-lily's spots
all  stay in their places.
The rose  strains to hint at
Wild  Romance
But succeeds only in
Expressing affection
appropriate to the 
flourescent lights
of a sterilized hospital room.

beside them
the  wild calla lillies
the flowers of aphrodite
stuffed randomly into 
a plastic cup were
strong while in the earth
but will  wilt quickly in captivity.
they remind us that  
life is a tactile experience.
they make me think of 
a pair of lovers
rolling in fresh spring grass
beside a creek
that plays the music 
for their dance.
They ask us,
is all this 
civilization
really worth it?

Back to the Poetry Page