"Love Struck"

Love Struck

Through the tulips
I croon, of life, of love,
of strummed spring showers
where we danced tip toe.

Falcetto highs, baritone lows…

blow kisses to one I loved,
pluck scarlet path and croon
of life, of loss,
throw myself over a c
                                 l
                                 i
                                 f
                                 f
                                     black heart. 


by Margaret Bednar, April 19, 2014


A Turkish legend may be responsible for the red tulip's symbolism.  The story goes that a prince named Farhad was love struck by a maiden named Shirin.  When Farhad learned that Shirin had been killed, he was so overcome with grief that he killed himself riding his horse over the edge of a cliff.  It's said that the scarlet tulip sprang up from each droplet of his blood, giving the red tulip the meaning of "perfect love".

This is for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads with Sam Edge"  He called for Avant-garde poetry, inspired by e. e. cummings.  So completely different from my writing.   Wished I'd had more time to give this some thought - but this is what I came up with in ten minutes.