Friends and poetry lovers, It's great to be back, following an early summer break, with several new features lined up for the coming months. Today, have a look at the beautiful imagery in "Amaryllis" and "Lucerna," by Patricia M. Osborne. Both poems were published in her poetry collection Spirit Mother: Experience the Myth (The Hedgehog Poetry Press: 2022). Be sure to check out her Bio, below. Thanks, Tricia, for allowing me to share your words!
Amaryllis
To win the shepherd
you must pierce your heart
with a golden arrow
and make the journey
to his home each day until
you claim his love
Blood dripped as she journeyed the path
day on day to the shepherd’s home,
shedding more and more from her open wound,
darkened stains seeding the fertile earth.
On the thirtieth day, blood-red blooms brushed
her ankles.
Astounded by their beauty,
Amaryllis
gathered an armful
of these new scarlet flowers.
Standing in his doorway, transfixed,
Alteo’s dark brown eyes glistened.
Beguiled,
he inhaled
the precious gift,
pulled Amaryllis close
and tasted her lips.
She touched her chest,
pain free
since he’d kissed her wound,
the arrow’s fissure
healed.
Alteo named
the posy–
blood from her heart
you must pierce your heart
with a golden arrow
and make the journey
to his home each day until
you claim his love
Blood dripped as she journeyed the path
day on day to the shepherd’s home,
shedding more and more from her open wound,
darkened stains seeding the fertile earth.
On the thirtieth day, blood-red blooms brushed
her ankles.
Astounded by their beauty,
Amaryllis
gathered an armful
of these new scarlet flowers.
Standing in his doorway, transfixed,
Alteo’s dark brown eyes glistened.
Beguiled,
he inhaled
the precious gift,
pulled Amaryllis close
and tasted her lips.
She touched her chest,
pain free
since he’d kissed her wound,
the arrow’s fissure
healed.
Alteo named
the posy–
blood from her heart
Lucerna
Feathered creatures nudge
and prod to be first in the queue
as God opens his paintbox.
He brushes the birds,
one by one,
in vibrant colours.
Transformed, they take flight,
boasting violet blues,
golden yellows
and burnished reds.
Hanging back, a small bird,
too shy to move forward,
stands alone in front of God
who shakes his head as he points
to the empty paint pots.
Lucerna lowers her beak
but God tilts the bird’s chin –
Fear not, little one,
I gift you a perfect voice.
Orange haze descends the sky
as moonlight climbs.
God prompts the small creature to sing.
The nightingale opens her bill–
whistles a magical crescendo.
and prod to be first in the queue
as God opens his paintbox.
He brushes the birds,
one by one,
in vibrant colours.
Transformed, they take flight,
boasting violet blues,
golden yellows
and burnished reds.
Hanging back, a small bird,
too shy to move forward,
stands alone in front of God
who shakes his head as he points
to the empty paint pots.
Lucerna lowers her beak
but God tilts the bird’s chin –
Fear not, little one,
I gift you a perfect voice.
Orange haze descends the sky
as moonlight climbs.
God prompts the small creature to sing.
The nightingale opens her bill–
whistles a magical crescendo.
Patricia M. Osborne is married with grown-up children and grandchildren. In 2019, she graduated with an MA in Creative Writing. She is a published novelist, poet and short fiction writer with five poetry pamphlets published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press, and numerous poems and short stories appearing in various literary magazines and anthologies. Her debut pamphlet, Taxus Baccata, was nominated for the Michael Marks Pamphlet Award. When Patricia isn’t working on her own writing, she enjoys sharing her knowledge, acting as a mentor to fellow writers, and featuring other writers on her blog:
Whitewingsbooks.com .
Whitewingsbooks.com .