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Notes About The Poem

Published 12th August 2022

Photos by gR taken in 2022 at Dunham Massey National Trust, Cheshire, UK.

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The Poet's Wife

the seat where he would sit 
lay down a path
and in a place
that sheltered him
from all the summer 
heat and pain.

a scent infused 
with echoes
from the rose 
with thorns beside him
had him rewriting
his poem
once again.

he never found
the right words 
to reflect his deep
true feelings
for the loss of
such a short
and happy life.

instead he 
placed the verses
incomplete
amongst the petals
of the yellow rose
so-called
the poet's wife.

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Trina Layne Date: 4/17/2025 5:55:00 AM Sad but beautiful, Gary! Congrats! Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 4/24/2025 11:40:00 PM Hi Trina. Thanks so much for your visit and I truly appreciate your comments. Cheers - Gary

Ink Empress Date: 10/24/2024 11:45:00 PM Dear Gary, this is so soul touching and moving how you’ve written this poem, when words fail, when theres so much left unsaid and unspoken, and so much can be felt , as love is way deeper than any metaphor or rhyme, youv made readers too feel and realize that, as they read, im sure, its never easy letting go and losing the one closest to our heart, i really loved the line “ a scent infused with echoes from the rose with thorns beside him” ah made me feel alot! And love the yellow rose and title too! Thank you for sharing! Sending you light always Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 10/25/2024 5:07:00 AM Thank you! :) It was the rose garden at Dunham Massey in Cheshire, UK that helped write this and of course the yellow rose called The Poet’s Wife that Ann and I both spotted. I aimed to write a poem placing emphasis on the ‘what has not been said’ rather than the ‘what has been said’ - I’m glad you liked it Inky. Cheers - Gary

Linda Alice Fowler Date: 2/8/2023 11:15:00 AM Back with huge congrats for this stunning work Gary! :) Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 2/9/2023 4:48:00 AM Thanks so much Linda! Cheers - Gary

FJ Thomas Date: 1/8/2023 1:47:00 PM Ayy Gary you're squeezing my heart. This is beautiful in its sorrow. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 1/9/2023 2:38:00 AM Thanks FJ. The poem actually wrote itself as I was walking around the rose garden in Cheshire, UK with my family. Ironically, the words came easier to me than they did for the poet in the poem. :) Cheers - Gary

Peter Rees Date: 10/5/2022 4:44:00 AM I have a Poet’s Wife blooming happily in my garden, but It’s never been associated with the emotions expressed so well and succinctly in this delightful poem. I shall never look at it in quite the same way again,Gary. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 10/5/2022 5:49:00 AM Thanks Peter. My wife is more a gardener than I am but she hadn't heard of the name of this particular rose before. It's had me looking at other rose names since. Great to here you have a Poet's Wife in your garden. :) Cheers - Gary

Terry Flood Date: 9/21/2022 4:52:00 AM Smashing poem, Gary. I’d never heard of ‘The Poet’s Wife’ but now I’ve seen it, I want one. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 9/21/2022 5:11:00 AM Terry, LOL A wife or a rose? Cheers - Gary

Beryl Edmonds Date: 9/19/2022 5:13:00 AM A beautiful poem Gary, I didn’t know there was a rose named ‘The Poet’s Wife’ how wonderful is that… Belle Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 9/19/2022 2:09:00 PM Thanks Belle. It was a case of the rose writing the poem. Cheers - Gary

Bill Baker Date: 9/10/2022 4:05:00 PM Very poetic, Gary. I felt the deep respect for the rose and the sencere desire to convey the beauty of the rose. Your metaphor of wife was excellent. A poet friend in Texas, Bill Login to Reply Bill Baker Date: 9/11/2022 5:22:00 PM Avery nice long sentence at that, Gary. Cheers, Bill Gary Radice Date: 9/11/2022 4:08:00 AM Thanks Bill. I envisaged the poet sitting on his seat, trying to think of a line, looking towards the rose, looking back down at his work, crossing out words and adding some and then giving up but leaving his thoughts next to the rose as he could not find the words to describe his love and feelings of loss for his late wife. - How's that for a long sentence? :) Cheers - Gary

John Watt Date: 8/29/2022 3:05:00 PM "a scent infused with echoes from the rose with thorns beside him"... these words in particular jumped out at me as I perused this one a few times and lingered in the moment, imagining the scene. As Linda commented, very evocative. You took a moment from your life, and a surprising flower name to create this lovely and slightly melancholy vignette of the imagined poet longing for another day with his late wife. How many times have we tried but been unable to find "the right words". Once again, immaculate rhythms and charming imagery. Cheers ~ John Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/30/2022 12:21:00 PM Once again John your comments describe my poetry better than I ever could. :) Thank you! Cheers - Gary

Andrea Dietrich Date: 8/26/2022 8:19:00 AM Love this one, Gary. A fave. Also a soupmail to you regarding the questions you asked me at my love poem Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/27/2022 1:26:00 AM Thanks Andrea. It took a few rewrites from myself this one so thanks for the fave. Much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

Kim Rodrigues Date: 8/24/2022 5:52:00 AM An incomplete…life…one too short, that means so much to the poet. Love that the yellow rose was called the poet’s wife. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/24/2022 3:05:00 PM Thank you Kim. It was a bit of luck spying the name of the rose as the ideas flowed for a poem based on its name as soon as I saw it. Cheers - Gary

Clive Blake Date: 8/21/2022 11:14:00 PM Hi Gary, A very nice poem, which I enjoyed reading, great work ... ~ Clive :) Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/22/2022 2:26:00 AM Hi Clive. Thanks for the visit, read and your comments. Much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

Bill Baker Date: 8/20/2022 5:00:00 PM Excellent descriptions and metaphors, Gary. I enjoyed the read. Bill Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/21/2022 4:53:00 AM Thanks Bill. I enjoyed reading your comments. :) Have a nice weekend and read you soon. Cheers - Gary

Brian Sambourne Date: 8/20/2022 8:57:00 AM Such moving metaphors for loss: the yellow rose, incomplete verses, one's love departed. A fine write, Gary. Sincere good wishes, Brian Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/21/2022 4:51:00 AM Thank you Brian. I appreciate your valued visit, comments and ongoing encouragement. Cheers - Gary

Andrew John Date: 8/16/2022 4:34:00 AM Colours, scents, feelings. Nice poem, Gary. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/16/2022 8:50:00 AM Thanks Andrew. Much appreciated. I'm currently away from my Poetry desk for a few days but will catch up with readings when I get back.Cheers - Gary

Linda Alice Fowler Date: 8/15/2022 6:28:00 AM Soft and sweet Gary. Very evocative. Nicely penned! Linda Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/15/2022 10:39:00 AM Thank you Linda. I appreciate your visit, read and comments. Cheers - Gary

Sara Kendrick Date: 8/15/2022 3:44:00 AM Ahh!! Filled with emotion. I enjoyed reading this one today. Thanks for your visit to my blog. I have done some updates. Sara Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/15/2022 10:40:00 AM Thanks Sara. I hope all goes well for your son. I'm glad he finally got an MRI scan. Cheers - Gary

Christopher Flaherty Date: 8/14/2022 4:24:00 PM Some things in life Gary Word's can not do justice or be found in order to describe a certain feeling or sentiment Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/14/2022 11:23:00 PM So true Christopher. In this poem I've envisaged a guy trying to work through loss using poetry as a catharsis of sorts..yet sadly he's not even at that stage yet. Thanks for your visit and thoughts. Cheers - Gary

Jenna Logan Date: 8/13/2022 4:09:00 AM Gary, your words touched me as if I had been pricked by the thorn of your yellow rose. Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/13/2022 7:35:00 AM Thank you Jenna. Just reading what you said there I wish I'd brought a thorn into the words of the poem somewhere. An idea missed. Nevermind :) Read you soon. Cheers - Gary EDIT (22/8/22) I've included the idea of thorns into the second stanza Jenna. Thanks for the prompt.

Harry Horsman Date: 8/12/2022 7:07:00 AM Oh, wow, so much sentiment here, Gary, yes i believe you have managed to get the message through, so much emotion, too much at this stage, to put into words. Time will tell I wonder. Harry Login to Reply Gary Radice Date: 8/12/2022 7:40:00 AM Thank you Harry. This fictional poem was inspired by a walk through a rose garden at a National Trust property my wife and I visited a few weeks back. I caught sight of a rose named 'The Poet's Wife' and felt I had to write a poem about it. Cheers - Gary EDIT: RIP Harry If you are listening up there, thank you for all your support.