Where Lilacs Grow

Beyond the furthest mountain peak,

Where rivers gently flow;

Where balmy breezes stir the air,

And hallowed bliss is ev’rywhere-

There lies the place the heartsick seek

To end their woe.

The splendour drives away despair,

And makes assertive of the meek.

More teachings than through sages flow

In the land where lilacs grow.

 

No winters e’er discharge their chill,

No clouds e’er cross the sky.

No perils lurk to stain with dread

The land to which the dying head

In want to have one final thrill

Before they die.

Beneath the lilacs lie the dead-

A promise that, should times grow ill,

In death we’ll meet, in death we’ll go

To the land where lilacs grow.

-EDP

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

"Where Lilacs Grow"
This poem is aptly named. I found myself imaging the fragrance of the flower lovely and how it just fills the senses and brings a whimsical feeling by its very structure and texture. In itself the very flower brings a feeling of peace and delight. I have many a time just held a bouquet of them to my face and just inhaled over and over. Life's hardships in a life lived and a steadfast heart this poem is one of the earned place of reprieve. Cool poem but I'll just pick one stanza that was really sweet to me:
"No winters e'er discharge their chill,
No clouds e'er cross the sky.
No perils lurk to stain with dread'
The land to which the dying head
'In want to have one final thrill
Before they die."
Blessings,
Kathy

[emipoemi]

Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed it.

[Kathy Van Kurin]

You are always welcome!

[Alexander Dillon]

Well done! I really enjoyed the way in which this poem flowed. It's imagery...splendid and wholesome. Skillfully and well written! Thank you for sharing.

[emipoemi]

Thank you for reading.

[Sumana]

Awesome penning! i love how the poem flowed and the classical style and elegance with which it is written...vivid imagery combined with rich vocabulary!

[emipoemi]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.

[William Liston]

Absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere of the poem reminds me of "Song In A Minor Key" by Dorothy Parker; this piece reads like a more calm, less haunting version of that poem, but it does share a similar theme of death (and I think lilacs are mentioned once in Parker's piece).
I loved the smooth rhymes and simple images throughout. I also like how the two stanzas mirror one another in structure and overall feel but still maintain their subtle differences.
Excellent work!

- William Liston

[emipoemi]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. The rhythm was actually modelled in structure off Wordsworth's "My heart leaps up when I behold" but I very much will look up the Parker poem to see how much I've unconsciously taken from it.

[Gaia Octavia]

I loved this. For many reasons. First, I enjoyed the hint of - almost an innocence in the language you use. Your usage of little-used contractions harken back to a less-busied time where poetry and letter writing were still widely enjoyed. 😉 I also loved the closing lines in both verses; hardly changed but striking very different images. A very peaceful piece. Well done!

[emipoemi]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Gaia Octavia]

Very much so.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Words cannot express the emotion I felt this so beautiful pure and great writing xx

[emipoemi]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more.

[Nigel Newman]

Masterful! Oh my. This is the work of someone strong on technical writing skill AND with the sensitivity of one who loves the natural world.

The structure is really interesting. I love how L3 and L4 rhyme and so do L1 and L5. I love the repeating words at the end of both verses, which of course reflect the title. The overall rhythm and structure almost feels Masefield-like - regardless of whether there are previous examples in this style, it's a great style to read - so rhythmic.

Very, very good. And very, very enjoyable.

Regards
Nigel

[emipoemi]

Thank you so much! Never heard of Masefield, but I would definitely check out his work. I'm glad you enjoyed the poem!

[Nigel Newman]

'Sea Fever' is probably his best known poem.

[Raven Moonchild]

(applauds) Brilliant!!! :D

[emipoemi]

Thank you!!