Foxglove

I walk past a neighbor’s eclectic flower garden

and stop to capture her Foxglove on my phone

She doesn’t know she’s given me a gift, an image

that conjures up a memory of 60 years ago,

When as a child,

I roamed the woods in Willow, Alaska,

with my billy goat, Sugarfoot at my heels,

And stopped to admire stalks of

Lavender

Purple

And pink

Foxglove rising among wild roses and

Salmon berry bushes.

Thank you neighbor for your vibrant garden

And the memory.

 

Author's Note

I wrote this poem for an artist in my neighborhood who grows a beautiful flower garden. She in turn painted me a picture of flowers with the words of my poem circling the painting. Pretty cool.

Reviews

[lovelymarina]

Nothing beats nostalgia... loved the words and imagery that came along with them. Beautiful job...
Marina

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Marina

[Zoe Richardson]

So that's what foxglove looks like! Beautiful imagery here. And a touch of melancholy.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Chris Shaw]

Foxgloves are splendidly tall, colourful but also toxic. I can remember warnings my own mum gave me years ago about their toxicity and how to stay away from them. Thank you for gifting me this garden and also memories of my much younger and beautiful mum. Thank you Shelley.

Chris

[Shelley Warner]

Yes, they're good for looking at, not for eating :) I'm glad my poem brought back memories of your mum. Thank you for reading.

[Zoe Richardson]

The heart medication Digitalis is made from foxglove. In the right amounts, it is beneficial. The wrong amount will kill you. It's name itself is taken from the scientific name for Foxglove.

[Shelley Warner]

That's very interesting. I didn't know that.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Despite its toxicity Foxglove is such a colorful plant. It really adds a lot of beauty to a garden. Thank you Shelley for your nice poem and lovely picture of this stunning piece of nature.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Carlos for your words. I was glad I was able to copy and paste the photo too.