Remember the Bleeding Hearts

a poem for my mother

Mother do you recall

The beds of lovely flowers

That you worked on so hard

To keep then lovely

 

In that little bed

Of such blooming beauties

There was one I loved most

Mother remember the bleeding hearts

 

The first two years of life

They were loved and nurtured

Brought to full potential

And blooming such sweet shades

 

But soon it was too much

To water them each day

And even though the leaves went brown

The pink hearts stayed bright

 

And weeds took over

Surround the weekend hearts

Taking everything they could

But still the flowers bloomed

 

And as divorce overtook our home

The bed was forgotten

Death surrounded

Every sweet bloom

 

But the bleeding hearts

Had seen such pain

And thrived amongst

The carcasses of their sisters

 

 As I walk along the bed

Dry and empty like a desert

Color drained and absent

A reflection of my life

 

And as I reach the end

The splash of pink catches my gaze

They’re being strangled now

By angry vines all around

 

But still they shine bright

The only color is the world

Stronger than they were before

The bleeding hearts prevail

 

Remember the bleeding hearts

They were your pride and joy

Perfect in your eyes

And oh so beautiful

 

I am the bleeding heart

That was cut from the womb

Given life and nurtured

Then left only to the weeds

 

I am the bleeding heart

I’ve seen too much pain

Suffered more than anyone

And now I’m strong today