I believe
There is tropical warmth and languorous life
Where the roses lie
In a tempting drift
Of pink and red and golden light
Untouched as yet by the pruning knife.
And the still, warm life of the roses fair
That whisper “Come,”
With promises
Of sweet caresses, close and pure
Has a thorny whiff in the perfumed air.
There are thorns and love in the roses’ bed,
And Satan too
Must linger there;
So Satan’s wiles and the conscience stings,
Must now abide—the roses are dead.
🥀
Amid the Roses by Alice Dunbar-Nelson
The trees have settled on their chosen variation of this years green theme
The roses are just about to burst out in June-full joy
The day walks with courage beside my bouncing shadow
the sunshine taking its stand bravely against the predicted forecast
7 Feathers are my rewards of the day
for all the passages & milestones passed
swag is everywhere in this magical, gift-laden world
we will soon find ourselves wrapped in the sweaty arms of summer
longing for anything cooler than the humid heat to reduce our body’s core temperature
iced anything will be on top of our list of listed lists
just for today, I hold my own place in this world
refusing to settle for the trite, but charismatic answers, of the cults leader
maybe in tomorrow’s heated moments I will reach for that icy, purple draught of those hungry for the end of times
but for now I still sip my own mixed blend of hope and passion
the light liquid of joy and laughter swirled with the heavy cream of pain and sorrow
a generous splash of rooted patience to keep me afloat
I raise my glass
loudly declaring life to be good!
We are not on the edge of living
but in the full center of our beating hearts-
attacking life,
Right Now
while it’s quickly slipping by under our feet
We are the music makers
the dreamers of dreams
the doers of deeds
We will not just sing at home
or on the shores of exile
we will sing in the face of danger, ignorance and injustice
we will sing while Rome, London or the stars burn
we will sing our songs forever
Yes, we will sing
yes, we will sing
🌹
Amy Lloyd
life: acoustic & amplified 