Before Their Time

come spring
when climes on skin are cool
when sun is hesitant to rise
there trellised to a garden wall
an evergreen which bursts in bloom
abundant show of lovely heads
dressed finely in deep shades of red

richest velvet ruby flowers
when shaken by a cold March wind
those ruffled lovelies in their skirts
do shiver first then fall below
succumb they do to
unkind ground

to crazy paving old and grey
now covered with a bright display
confetti petals shower down
on raised cracked stones
from yesterdays

yet I recall a spring one year
when snowflakes softly fell at night
morning brought the saddest sight
of blood red petals settled on
a bed of contrast pure and white

and how my eyes did water for
our soldiers of two desperate wars
who fought for freedom land and sea
how willingly they sacrificed
their lives to fight off tyranny
and now I ask what would they say

what would they think if they lived now
would they suppose they died in vain
with all that sorrow all that pain
or would they say for heaven’s sake
our death sans glory no mistake
for given chance we’d die again

Reviews

[Soren]

Chris I can see the work that went into this masterpiece of verse. It not only has the rhyme and meter of a work of art but carries with it the emotion worthy of such works. It is beautifully set up with images and flows toward its end as a river flows to the sea.
"yet I recall a spring one year
when snowflakes softly fell at night
morning brought the saddest sight
of blood red petals settled on
a bed of contrast pure and white"
Wonderfully written.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Soren. I did spend time on this poem, so thank you for noticing. Have a wonderful weekend.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

I love how you used the flower garden to prelude to the red petals on a blanket of white sparking a thought of soldiers who have died in past wars.

My son is a Marine. They are truly a different breed even from other branches in the military. I can tell you from being around him and his Marine brothers and sisters that they would give anything to be a part of their brotherhood and branch again. They would willingly go to defend their country and the civilians that need protecting. It is breed in them and not from boot camp or from their training. It is who they are. It resides within them always.

[Chris Shaw]

How proud you must be of your son. Thank you so much for stopping by to review this latest poem. I appreciate you PB.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

You are welcome. It is a deep poem with a lot of thought poured into it. Using the red flower was a creative and striking way to get the reader’s attention and make them think

[Poetic Beauty]

Yes I’m very proud of my son. It was his dream from a very young age to be in the military. By the time he was in junior high he had decided what branch and in high school he started the steps to make becoming a Marine a reality.