Down by the floating garden my love and I would meet
when the springtime birds were singing
and the flowers blossomed sweet,
when the days were soft and glistening,
when the sun was young and mild,
when the river whispered softly,
when our love was free and wild.
Beside the floating garden there I bid my love adieu
as the drums were loudly calling
and the pipes sang strong and true,
when scuff of boots gone marching
stirred my blood and bid me thence
as the river whispered softly
in the tongue of innocence.
I dreamed those floating gardens on many moonless nights
and I heard the birds there singing
in those far and distant fights
through the shelling and the screaming,
through the din of screeching hell
where the river murmured softly
where the world was sane and well.
Now I stand beside the garden that is rank and overgrown
and the ravens sing their dirges
to the warrior come home,
and the days are raw and bitter
and the sun is weak and wan
for my love has wed another,
a truer, wiser man.
Beside this sunken garden where my love and I would meet,
the river has gone mute
much like an army in retreat.
The pipes and drums are silent
and I hear no marching tread
from the legions of the lost,
the battered brothers of the dead.
Author notes
This poem was written for this contest. I have also copied it to my journal.
A contest entry
- About Something Green by Kiddy.
600 points, ended April 9, 2009, 20 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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brilliantly wrought. What a nice story within! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing.
Kiddy's score - 48.5
Dr.Veer's score - 48.6
Total - 97.1
Love
Kiddy -
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Thank you for your wonderful contest.
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An excellent tale within a poem. You painted a vivid picture here with this piece. Best of luck to you in the contest!
Lily ♥
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Thank you for reading and for your encouraging remarks.
Mac
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this is really good, i can see the garden going from something beautiful to something dark and scary because of what is going on around it, kind of like a metaphor about the world today, great peom, best of luck in the contest
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Merci beaucoup. Thanks for reading.
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very nice work, I liked it a lot; I would say I loved it if it had not had such a sad ending. Well wrought - one of my favorites of yours.
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Thanks for reading and commenting. It is a sad piece.
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This is beautiful, and sad. I so want the gardens to float again, in all their glory.
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This blew me away! One of the best written poems I have read in a long time!
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Thank you for your comments on this poem. I am glad it spoke to you.
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