A daylight will stay with us from on high
And mailings will be reviewed when I sigh
Among bleeding cacti within the fence
After we are engaged in a pretence
Here I, reversal permeability
Reduced to wearing only this vittae
I am looking out my dining room window, overlooking the birdbath in the small garden of my flat. The arum lilies have added a new bloom—just as the last one is dying off—beside the grave marker of my pet: not just any dog, but my trusty emotional support animal. A black bird takes an early morning bath in the yet icy-cold water, while another waits impatiently for its turn.
the arum lilies
are exceptionally showy
this year—
the etymology
of my name
captured
by the S f U l Z o E w T e T r E s *
it’s five months
since his passing
emotions
plumose …
Painted in grey
no colours nor lilies
there's hope there's pain
amidst the wind and storm
"Life" pinned me in blue.
One month passed.
The new walk in
like a gentle guest,
hopes on it
worries cast aside,
I take a step and stride;
my boulders are too immense
to shoulder,
beyond my strength,
beyond my vision
'like a dream.
In glimmer of hope
I embrace my path,
a fate so neatly designed,
to pace forward wayward front.
Roadside Lilies Hiku 45
roadside lilies white
in full bloom with delight~
yearning for human sight.
e s w
i ~ ~ h
l ~ ~ i
i t
------------------------ l e
r –o –a d –s –I –d -e
-----------------------
0 . o .
l . . . . . m
in f ~u ~l ~l b . . . •. . . . d _e _l_ i_ g_ h_ t~
w . . . h
I . , t
i g
y ~e ~a ~r ~n ~I ~n ~g for human s • h
t.
Lilies Haiku 39
white lilies in bloom
cotton petals unfurl~
nature`s sacred world.
i e s
l ~ ~
i ~ ~ i
l ~ ~ n
e ~ b
t l
i o
h o
w m
t ~ a - f -u
e~ ~ l -n -r
c–o-t-t-o-n p ~ ~ ~ s _u -l~
o r
n ~a ~t ~u ~r ~e`s s-a-c-re-d w l
d.
A Pond's Melody
Purrs of swimming swans
Drumming of fish with bladders
Rustling of water lilies
Rippling of waters
Stir up a pond`s melody,
A dulcet boon to the ears.
lying on lilies
lazy and luxurious
feed my senses curious
listen to my pond
drips and drops a harmony
rain on tadpole colony
Summer Hiku 24
warm summer s ~u ~n ~s ~h ~I ~n ~e
c -o -u -r -t -I -n -g lilies in v ~a ~i ~n~
heart aching with p ~a ~i ~n.
Lilies Of The Fields
1963
A field full of flowers.
Yellow is my favorite color.
Run freely in the wind.
Stay young with an imagination.
Be carefree through the open land.
Live a simple life if you can.
There's nothing like living out in the country.
This is the way it should be.
Swing high into the sky.
Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Put on a beautiful song.
Play outside all day long.
Have an adventure just for fun.
Stay young under the sun.
It’s just a small house above the hill.
An open field with lilies to feel.
What a wonderful life living on the farm.
With so many memories that are remarkable.
Walk with me in the open fields.
Maybe true love will be revealed.
Stay with me, into tomorrow.
When I look up, it has always been you.
Midst a dirty pond,
Pink lilies bloom unnoticed
I love this place now.
As I set foot in the paradise of flowers
I saw a set of vivid pals
Swaying and waving towards the unusual soul
Connecting hearts and hearts entirely
Greeting with a wreath and a glorious scent
I stood there gaping at them
As if that was a band of colour
But of more colours and like enchantress
I was entirely dazed and the pals were twinkling while looking at me
Soon my companion told me to stop looking at the lilies
But oh Lord, were they lilies or a whimsical rainbow?
I still ask myself that
As to me, they are the beauty:
The lilies of Buckingham.
Trumpet-like lilies by the lake
preen for the flamboyant flamingo,
sifting through the murky waters,
searching for algae and shrimp
where crawdads click and clatter.
While silvery fish glide stealthily
leaving barely a ripple behind,
a chorus of frogs’ croaks
echo like the whining twang
of a plucked banjo string.
Dragonflies skim the water’s surface
as their translucent wings shimmer
like gems in the sunlight,
dart about the amaranth lilies
waltzing in the summertime breeze.
‘When you are not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.’ - Lauren Eden
lilies and ravens
dance together making mud puddles
thick as salve caked on deep wounds
stemming not the ooze
tinctures from droppers
bitter herbs labeled for survival
use only as directed
replenish nothing
rancid birthday cakes
gleeful candles form dancing shadows
glassy story-telling eyes
yearn desperately
gleaming steel knives slice
neat little rows across the table
the sacrificial altar
where naked I lay
ignorant children
don't see the bullies in their own homes
doling birthrights like feed for
ravens and lilies
Written 8 April 2025
For the contest Light or Shadows hosted by Suzette Richards
I am the swan
with a broken wing —
Not knowing where
my old flock has gone.
I drift now amidst
embracing lilies, who
Have long and dearly kept
my pleas for close company…
Thus, whenever hunters near,
The lilies ask along with me,
If
Angels still come
To wipe away
Tears of tragedy?
(c) sally eslinger 2/2025
Behold the brave ten thousand men
When called to war they rushed right in
Leaving both hearth and home behind
Unaware of what they might find
In fertile fields their foes had nested
Strong as steel and battle tested
Eyes afire and nerves were steady
Standing stoic and at the ready
Ten thousand men eyes full of fear
Held their ground as the horde drew near
The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed
The blood would fly as the armies clashed
By end of day the war raged on
All through the night until the dawn
Ten thousand men had met their doom
In fertile fields where the lilies bloom
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