THE PASSING

I know

I saw that wilting plant
Like a thirsty throat
Waiting for dewdrops

Yesterday, the gardener cut its shoot
Then the branches
Now the stem
Leaves scattered on the ground
The shoot
The branches
The stem

I heard it cry
I saw its pain

Today is a day to celebrate
There is sun
There is rain
How come they conjoin?
Perhaps they know it is the last

Perhaps they can feel
The passing of a silent plant.

Author's Note

Quietude...

Reviews

[Eddie Davis]

Wow, I liked that! How reflective and tragic, it made me think of the day my wife's grandmother died. We left the hospital and everything outside was going on like normal with people moving around their daily routine, not knowing the pain and grief we were feeling. There are a lot of people wilting around us, dying from loneliness or unknown agony, and sometimes it seems as if nature itself is more sensitive to their plight than those around them. The contrast in this poem about the wilting plant, the heartless gardener, the observer who feels the death of the plant and the sun and rain seeming to come together in honor of the plant is masterfully told. This is an extremely good poem. Very well done, Dhaye, this is definitely one I shall remember.

[Dhaye]

Thank you so much, Eddie.

[Jimmy Yetts]

An extremely effective dramatic portrayal.
The reader was made to realize--and feel--something he or she might rarely have contemplated.
Meaningful work, Dhaye!

[Tom]

Despite the anarchy and chaos, renewed hope and salvation is in progress!

An inspiring, stellar piece of poetry Dhaye, superb as ever !!

[Dhaye]

Thank you, Tom.

[W R Stowe]

Amazingly nature tends to regenerate and police itself to bad humans don't do the same.I remember a sunflower that grew in Pampanga just one only and due to summer heat each day it would fade and wilt more and more.Seems rain water is different from other cause it died from the lack of rain.Sad but necessary to recycle back to nature good job

Bill

[Dhaye]

Thank you.

[W R Stowe]

your welcome

[NeiL ArandA]

Dhaye ...I could not restrain myself not to say something about this newly penned piece. When our path first crossed here on WC, your piece that I really liked and admired the most was " Taking Flight " . That really made a first impression upon me. I printed that piece without your permission for my own record keeping and for me to always try to see if I could somehow get close to that level of writing. And though I begged you many times to feature that piece; you never did. I still have that piece in my favorite collection of Poetry here on Writerscafe. I have challenged you to write another one like that and you told me you just write simple ones. I think this piece have surpassed my expectations. It's concise and shorter than the first but brilliantly well thought of. I would like to give my best shot, take and interpretation on this piece without any string attach.

First Stanza " I saw that wilting plant Like a thirsty throat Waiting for dewdrops "

Wow ...short but so many possible conclusions or picture or scene you can draw from. I would like to use growing old or when a person is stricken with years as my take but that have been selected as a take by another poet here. Instead I will use the analogy of friendship or love relationship as my take. The author paints a picture of a dying plant. Plant needs water and sun in order to thrive. It its main source of food. The lines perhaps are an expression of longing and craving, of wanting to live and survive, more so than dying.

Second Stanza " Yesterday, the gardener cut it's shoot Then the branches Now the stem Leaves scattered on the ground
The shoot The branches The stem "

There was an attempt to save and revived the wilting plant with the usual method to stimulate growth which is the pruning method. But the last ditch of the gardener to infuse life into this fading plant caused more harm than good. It expedited its demise. The pruning which usually stimulate growth was counter productive and futile. Perhaps the gardener here is someone that was once connected or have a special relationship with the plant as indicated in the usage of the word - yesterday. Cutting of the shoot here may be severing his or her ties or connection as in someone leaves or abandon someone in a relationship or friendship.
It was not mentioned that the wilting plant was watered. Perhaps a sign that it was neglected for an extended period of time. The roots were not nurtured as in a relationship that was dry and not watered well with love, affection and words of affirmations or simply no communications at all.

The three things that was cut were mentioned again here. Perhaps it meant or represents " broken or severed hopes, broken dreams and broken or shattered hearts to thousand pieces.
Or simply all the time and effort invested to form a strong friendship or relationship was cut and shattered in an instant. "

Third Line " I heard it cry I saw its pain "

The persona empathizes with his/her muse or perhaps an acknowledgement of someone that is or has been slowly dying on the inside. Someone who recognized that its not worth to hold on to what has been lost but to cling back and fight for what was still left.

Third Stanza: " Today is a day to celebrate There is sun There is rain How come they conjoin? Perhaps they know it is the last "

The word celebrate here is perhaps pertaining to a realization. To let go of someone or loveone or a friend that had already died, grown cold or wilted away many moons ago. The sun and the rain here represents the persona or muse new found hope or circle of friends perhaps. Which is the most needed element a wilting plant need. Not the cutting or pruning method. ( hmm this jived my memory..perhaps a response to someones or somebody's written piece in an enigmatic and clever way )

Fourth Stanza " Perhaps they can feel The passing of a silent plant. "

The sun and the rain here perhaps represents our new found circle of friends. The sun represents someone who gives light and guidance to shine through our way and the rain gives hopes and refreshments to our fainting soul. Both come to our side and aid which are covertly represented here. They know they feel, they come they minister. They stand with us and for us when we are fading away and we need desperate encouragement and strength to battle the drought seasons of our lives. And they bring rainbow of refreshment to our weary, worried and wilting heart.

Dhaye ..thank you . You have impressed me once again with this masterpiece. I truly and honestly say - Bravo !

[Dhaye]

Thank you for spending your time to my poetry, Neil.

[Samuel Pennell]

This was awesome! So well written, and it plays on that odd sentimentality that rings true. This hit the right note, my friend. Rock on!

[Dhaye]

Thank you, Samuel.

[gabrielle]

Reading this is like drinking a cup of tea after a long day. The presentation is simple, minimalist, no pretentious words. Yet, it has a strong cleansing effect on me.

[Dhaye]

Thank you so much, Gab.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it is almost like the passing of a human. a life cut short for various reasons...a sickness and then a mercy killing----and life shines for this person one last time before the breath is snuffed out for good, before the roots themselves expire.
you can kill a person but you cannot kill what made them who they were.

[Dhaye]

Thank you for the insightful review, sir.