Gold rises first~
sunflowers flaring,
their ragged halos trembling
like small suns caught mid-breath.
They lean toward the room
as if listening for daylight,
as if remembering
the warm dust of noon.
Beside them, dusk u
n
f
u
r
l
s~
irises in violet folds,
midnight pooled at their throats,
blue ink gathering
where shadow meets stem.
They stand in cool defiance,
a quiet evening hum
held in their narrow leaves.
Together they make an entrance~
heat braided with shadow,
a dialectic of color
held in one trembling vase,
where joy and sorrow
glow side by side
in strokes that pulse
with Van Gogh’s heart and soul.
A BLUE FLOCK
this
early summer
morning
gives
flight to
a blue
flock
© 2025 Sara Etgen-Baker
Van Gogh's "Irises" next to a guard with a gun
In a museum by the sea -
It was to be a pleasant weekend excursion
For my young son and me.
I wanted to show him treasures of the world,
My boy to enlighten -
But strange conflicting feelings in me swirled,
To attract, yet to frighten.
The lessons learned that day were many
As I held tightly to his hand -
Things that are even hard for me to see,
He tried to understand.
The world is filled with grace and beauty,
But I could not mislead -
Lurking in dark corners, there is also
Violence, ugliness and greed.
Van Gogh's "Irises" next to a guard with a gun
In a museum by the sea -
It was to be a pleasant weekend excursion
For my young son and me.
Lovely darling,
Another moon,
Has sighed,
With the irises,
Of your love,
Lovely darling,
You gaze,
To our moon,
To ease your mind,
And feel your love,
Flow,
In its deep glow,
The maple trees,
Are letting go,
Of their summer leaves,
As youre letting go,
Of lingering tears,
In the soul and meadows,
Lovely darling,
another moon,
Has sighed,
With the irises,
Of your love,
Lovely darling,
You gaze,
To our moon,
To ease your mind,
Feel the stars,
And your love
Reynaldo Casison
The irises,
In van goghs,
Dreamy canvas,
Sway,
Like lovely ladies,
In purple gypsy dresses,
To a still lilys sonata,
As the roses and sunflowers,
Sigh in vivid chorus,
And hues
Reynaldo Casison
The curvaceous,
lake,
The waves,
shimmer,
With evening stars,
Like Van goghs irises,
We sat side by side,
One carefree summer,
Ethereal,
Its leaves,
Swayed,
Within us,
And the moon glowed
Reynaldo Casison
an asylum's garden~irises full of life without tragedy
~ iris blue ~ initially purple ~ protanopia confuse ~
Garden Fairy Bright and Glary
Garden fairy bright and glary
Your floral displays glow
With velvet irises kisses
Having you stood on tippy-toe
Where glorious irises grow.
*+*+*+*
24th May 2023
Mother Goose Grows Up Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Miranda Hawley
*+*+*
Nursery rhyme chosen to grow up is…
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row
And pretty maids all in a row.
*+*
i sip those coffee irises
which beckon my core
sans a resounding wave
or bawdy utterance
the strong, robust urge
a breathless yearning
i stir that drink
with a flirtatious cream
i lean into his cup
the grind of healthy soil
a tasty, deep, romantic bean
those eyes ~ my twinge
a loving cup
pours into every kiss
the slide of lips
the palming caress
oh how those eyes dance
in throes
the thrill that wakes me up
stirs him to sleep
content beneath the sheets
those coffee irises
hidden from my view
i’m totally taken
8/1/2022
Amid the multi-colored tulips complementing my yard, purple irises raise their faces to the glistening rays of sun that filters through the tree boughs.
iris eyes
uplifted with hope
red cardinal
Purple Flowers Poetry Contest
Nayda Ivette Negron Flores
5-30-2022
Waving purple flags
Standing alert at my gate
New day is dawning
I am reading your autobiography, the encyclopedia of you
yet I remain a student of your sclera
a pupil of your pupils
a Vincent of your irises
An excerpt from the poem "A Strange Galaxy" submitted to the
Liberum Divisa 8 Poetry Contest
Today's date: 16 Nov 2021
a peacock thrills fourth
infidelity blooming
eye catching display
The days quickly fade
easing into the flowers of early to mid-May,
a glance across the garden's edge
strewns the path where footprints wedge,
the irises rise in gangly stalks tall
buds forming as if in a ladder sprawls;
first, short exuberances bleached ivory and white
then yellow bearded brown tongue delights,
these later sunnier days announce
deep passionate purple velvets that bounce
deep dark burgundy silks appear across scaped land
the tallest, regalia mesmerizing and grand
May with little rain
entices Iris blooms once again.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.