Cherry Blossoms ... a poem by Anne Selden Annab

Cherry Blossoms- Washington DC

 

    Cherry Blossoms

There is an invasive bloom

of beauty

boughs and boughs

of beauty

brought as a gift,

a bribe

of beauty

from

a  friend

who later turned into an enemy

then turned into a friend again

and again and again

renewing every Spring

simply the gift

of beauty

and diplomacy.

Gentle words and deeds.

Respect for others.

Be kind, be good,

be better than war

be stronger than violence

be longer than memory

& wiser than history.

 

poem copyright ©2025 Anne Selden Annab  

The Architect's Garden

   The Architect's Garden

Purpley blue geranium
by the round stone terrace
by the house
in the back garden
watched
by a blue eyed cat.

From far above the garden shape
would be an open door.

Tall stucco garden walls with barely
visible vertical apertures for air
and a long low horizontal gap
giving small creatures
bunny, chipmunk, bird
incentive to come and go
gleaning beauty.

Only the back garden gate
seals tight, and the house
with its many windows
and that bright blue eyed cat
purrs as Elsie Louise
in the lightest blue
entertains.

She is sky
with a lion's mane
still gold in the right light.
An old stone farmhouse
and thousands of good books
built who she is now
transplanted to town
perfecting summer
on a teacher's salary.


                  poem copyright ©2015 Anne Selden Annab