L Milton Hankins Poet Rhyme

The Gardenia

Her shimmering lavender gown of satin and lace
Made her look like a fairy princess dressed for the dance.
The lad held a delicate, creamy-white gardenia
On her shoulder next to her radiant, beaming face.

She had requested an orchid; she thought it so chic,
The sweet fragrance of the gardenia altered her choice
She admired herself in the grand vestibule mirror,
And gave her timid boyfriend a sweet peck on the cheek.

When the evening ended, she carefully put the bloom
Pressing between pages of her senior annual,
A reminder of that night for the rest of her life
She gave it a special place on a shelf in her room.

As the years crept slowly by, and events shaped her life
Like the pressed gardenia she had carefully hidden,
Her memory of the lad from long ago faded
She mothered her seven children, another man's wife.

One day her husband given a promotion senior,
Came home early to take his good wife out to dinner
She descended their staircase dressed in satin and lace
He pinned a sweet-smelling gardenia next to her face.

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Charlotte Puddifoot March 13, 2021 at 4:05 AM cute story, i like gardenias :) i'm never sure exactly what imagism is either - presumably a poem with strong images lol i've answered your questioning on my poem by the way.:) L Milton Hankins March 13, 2021 at 9:01 AM Thanks, Charlotte. I'll go back and see what you said. Your comments are so appreciated.

Caren Krutsinger March 11, 2021 at 11:06 PM Beautiful story, made me want to weep. If I was a weeper I would be boo-hooing all over the floor here, because it is almost TOO much beauty for my mind. I don't "do" imagery, but I severely appreciate it when it has been done well! L Milton Hankins March 12, 2021 at 9:58 AM Ah, thanks, Caren. I'm never sure what "imagism" is in terms of style and form. I know it is difficult to write, so I tried three times and finally decided to submit the one about Mother and her dahlias. The Gardenia one might have been better, though. Who knows?

Lindsay Laurie March 11, 2021 at 4:47 PM Hello Milton … its amazing how little things from long ago revive a memory. When our gardenia flowered, the perfume was so alluring - thank you Milton - Lindsay L Milton Hankins March 11, 2021 at 5:14 PM Thank you, Lindsay. I'm glad you stopped by and read my poem. I appreciate you.

Sam Kauffman March 11, 2021 at 11:54 AM What a sweet, and slightly pensive, verse LM. Lovely in its memories with a ironically charming ending. Enjoyed. L Milton Hankins March 11, 2021 at 3:44 PM Thanks so much, Sam. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Marcela Proust March 11, 2021 at 11:19 AM Remembrance of things passed. A very dear memory brought back by sight and a sweet smell; even though it was only her memory. A beautiful poem. Makes me think of my nom de plume, Marcela Proust"; the famous scene in which Swann smells the madeleine cookies and is transported back to his childhood, and memories of his mother. BUT, the question for YOUR poem is why the HUSBAND chose a gardenia? HE was not HER teenage love. Hmm? Thank you for making me think hahaha. L Milton Hankins March 11, 2021 at 3:44 PM Sometimes the sentiment indicates the flower, don't you think? Possibly? Did her husband see in her the same gentle naivete and femininity her boyfriend saw long ago? Had she, perhaps, inadvertently or passingly mentioned her love for the gardenia without talking about the situation long ago? I don't know. I just wrote the poem! lol