Pause for poetry:
Michael Hawkes /12

A Small Patch

A poem by Michael Hawkes

A rose garden is not what I wanted,
a small patch of grass would have done.
I felt their aroma was much over-rated,
their barbarous thorns as things to be hated;

I just wanted to sit in the sun
among wildflowers and weeds
with no urgent needs,
no pressure of things to be done;

no sniffing, no pruning and no flower arranging,
no attempts to impress anyone;
I wanted to be just plain, unassuming,
on a small patch of green in the sun.

Alas, I’m bequeathed a fine bed of roses
where flower fanciers frequently come
to delve in the briar with diligent noses
so mowing and raking the lawn I suppose
is the reason I’m feeling so glum.

(Born to privilege, wide with wonder)

19/5/17 Hawkes

Feature image: katrien berckmoes via StockPholio.com

Read other poetry, essays and short stories