When hydrangeas mattered
And daffodils in abundance grew
When dandelions in the wind
Held their shape in plain view

When lavender smelled as sweet
freshly cut or dried in sachets
And the children ran a muck in a ruckus
When the angel trumpets and wisteria flowered
When dreams were tightly sealed in disguised clutter
And the mirror in a reflection didn’t bother

When roses and tulips in a wedding bouquet triumphed
And promises and caresses were enough
When Boston Ivy tightly gripped these walls
And your secrets were hidden from all
And her faith in you was without a fall
And she didn’t see anyone, anyone at all

When geraniums began to wither
And even succulents became parched
And thickets and weeds everywhere, everywhere
And no tending could sow this garden’s flora and fauna march

When they struggled to get past this now evident drought
And come April or May,
hydrangeas were now in disarray
It was the absence of children’s laughter that left them
And left them no doubt

-haven

(Art by Rafal Olbinski via whisperinglion)