Done in the same rhyming pattern as Wordsworth's Daffodils.
The Jonquil
The earth has passed the furthest tip
Of its broad arc around the sun;
Winter still maintains its grip
On a garden, dormant and undone.
But there, a harbinger of spring, unfurled:
A jonquil beams upon the world.
While all else is sleeping, or in decay;
The jonquil foreshadows what is to be.
As I greet the lengthening of the day,
The jonquil speaks of hope to me.
There’s a freshness in its presentation
That evokes a sense of warm elation.
Dubbed Narcissus, after the Greek
Who flaunted his own perfection,
The jonquil would only have us seek
Heartfelt pleasure in its detection.
While self-love we should all forswear,
It doesn’t mean that beauty is not there.
So, to the jonquil, I give my thanks:
A most welcoming, mid-winter, jewel;
With beauty and sweet grace, it is the start
Of a season of rebirth and of renewal.
When life is cold and drab and still
I can but thank the sweet jonquil.
The earth has passed the furthest tip
Of its broad arc around the sun;
Winter still maintains its grip
On a garden, dormant and undone.
But there, a harbinger of spring, unfurled:
A jonquil beams upon the world.
While all else is sleeping, or in decay;
The jonquil foreshadows what is to be.
As I greet the lengthening of the day,
The jonquil speaks of hope to me.
There’s a freshness in its presentation
That evokes a sense of warm elation.
Dubbed Narcissus, after the Greek
Who flaunted his own perfection,
The jonquil would only have us seek
Heartfelt pleasure in its detection.
While self-love we should all forswear,
It doesn’t mean that beauty is not there.
So, to the jonquil, I give my thanks:
A most welcoming, mid-winter, jewel;
With beauty and sweet grace, it is the start
Of a season of rebirth and of renewal.
When life is cold and drab and still
I can but thank the sweet jonquil.
.
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© 2012 J Cosmo Newbery
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Such lovely words!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful are your words dear J Cosmo, you really are a great poet.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteIt's only a few days on from the Solstice but already it's getting noticeably lighter earlier in the morning. It won't be long before we're all baking again :)
This is quite beautiful, Cosmo.
ReplyDeleteBut I am also musing about the weather ...here for me the temps are well past 100 Fahrenheit by mid-afternoon since the solstice has passed. We dig in to long shadows, the overhead whispers of fans and the omnipresence of air conditioning (would I have survived Texas in the summers of the 1800's??? I'm not certain ...)
And for you, well I suppose it is your 'winter'. And I have absolutely no idea what sort of weather an Australian winter brings!!
I shall google it now.
xxx
ps. Little Donkey ??? I MUST read first!
And only $4 a bunch. Jonquils are worthy of poetry.An unusually cold one this year
ReplyDeleteSigned
Sydney Jonquil Lover
Thank Sydney Jonquil Lover!
ReplyDeleteRDG: currently about 8deg C over night and 13deg C during the day (±). (46-55F, in the old currency)
ReplyDeleteI love it when I see jonquils back in the shops. It's such an encouraging sign that we're moving out of winter and into the better seasons xx
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting poem to write - I wanted to parallel Wordsworth's Daffodils but not mimic or parody it ("I meandered lonely as a stream..."?).
ReplyDeleteIt has the same number of verses, in ABABCC pattern, but goes its own way beyond that.
So you DO have a proper 'wintry' season! Jonquils / Narcissi need a certain amount of 'wintering' below freezing temps. (In my former life I was a landscape architect ... who knew??) This winter we only had one night below freezing - as a result, I can plant narcissi in late fall; they will bloom in February; and then never return again ... :(
ReplyDeletexxx
It is clear that you have put a great deal of thought and effort into writing this lovely lyrical piece. Mid-Winter jonquils are one of my favourite things.
ReplyDeleteJ Cosmo, I would say that this is one of my favorite poems of yours, if not my 'all-time favorite." What a beautiful tribute to a lovely flower. You wrote SO well in this form.
ReplyDeleteThis left me with a very happy mood to start the day with. Thanks :)
ReplyDeletePeaceful feeling just came over me. Lovely
ReplyDeleteThis is very beautiful and your replication of the form is perfectly done.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely write! And how lucky you are to have a winter so mild, that flowers still bloom.
ReplyDeleteA lovely write for a beautiful flower. I think you managed really well to mimic Wordsworth's 'Daffodils' without stealing his work.
ReplyDeleteThis was a lovely write all of your own.
Beautiful piece. In mid-winter, the sight of a beautiful flower brings a breath of summertime warmth to one's soul.
ReplyDeleteAustralia, sounds like? Here in America, I'm in Wisconsin, up near Canada, in the midst of a heat wave and drought. This poem was a breeze for my soul, a balm.
ReplyDeleteThe comment about not "showing off," but still having beauty, I loved. Nice comment on self-esteem, humility, and love vs. hubris.
Peace, Cos. Amy
Sorry, that last comment was from the name below! Amy
ReplyDeleteGreat Poem! I'm taken by the form...you know...it's really difficult for me to write like this!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed!
Sharp Little Pencil: The 'Amy' gave it away! Thank you for your comments.
ReplyDeleteKolembo: Thank you to. I guess it is the devil you know. All bar about three or four of the things I have written are in some form of rhyme structure.