COLLAGE

Don't send me roses when I'm sad,
They remind me how fleetingly
.....the petals fall,
.....the fragrance fades.
I only become lonelier and I cry some more.

Send me roses when I'm glad.
And I will remember -
.....beauty never lasts
.....moonclouds become storms.
.....dream bubbles can burst.

Go watch a sunset. Hold your breath.
Keep still one second longer.
For in a flash, all its gold will turn to ash.
Lift your face upwards to catch a misty rain.
Taste the morning dewdrops when they're fresh.
Soon enough - these too will pass.

Take care when you hold a rose in your hand.
One rough grip, one careless touch -
And you will feel the pain that comes
As the thorns bleed your fingertips.

Now I know why some people
.....may prefer a cat for company
I have mine --- white, furry and cuddly
In solitary moments, I turn to it for comfort.
.....it purrs and snuggles in my arms,
.....warm and content.
.....its green eyes unquestioning, trusting.

On warm nights, grandfather sits
.....in his ancient rocking chair.
.....smoking an ancient pipe.
The glow from his pipe flickers off and on -
Copper-winged fireflies floating 'round his aged face.
In the evening calm, TIME is motion without moving.

This is my COLLAGE of visions and thoughts -
.....roses, sunset, a cat, grandfather in his rocking chair.
Is there incongruity here?
Not really.

A cacophony of noise and sounds surround me.
SERENITY and QUIET come in rare and unexpected moments -
.....drinking the stillness of a sunset.
.....oddlight glowing from grandfather's pipe.
.....a cat's green eyes looking from a whimsical whirlpool
Where do I find my sense of balance?

Life is cupping a bunch of roses in my hand -
I take its BEAUTY along with its PAIN.

-----------------------© Jotte: September, 1998