The Daisy Chain
She skipped down the lane, in her silken, pink dress,
Quietly humming, her smile, effortless.
A spirit of innocence, as nature intends,
Her days full of wonder, where time never ends.
The noonday sun mirrored, on golden brown hair,
Ribbon-tied ringlets held high, in midair.
In rhythm, they bounced with her large, pink frock bow,
The crafted, bright flowers of the skirt, hung below.
She tripped through the daylight, the world at her feet,
Her white, leather sandals, unscuffed, and still neat.
This elfin enchantress with soft, dimpled knees,
Could charm every songbird from all of the trees!
Soon, she sat down upon, cool, long, green grass
wildflowers & clover entwined it, en masse.
Her pretty dress; buoyant, sank slowly to ground,
As plump, putty fingers gathered daisies she’d found.
Breaking the skin of the stem she found tricky,
Her half-bitten nails didn’t help, more’s the pity!
Determined & careful, her treasure complete,
A delicate daisy chain, precious and sweet.
Savour the memories, remember the scene,
In a heartbeat, only daisies grow where she had been.
The grains from the hourglass, fallen & gone,
A blink of an eye, fades, where beauty had shone.
Now the pink dress lies sleeping, forlorn in a drawer,
And the memories lie scattered all over the floor,
They’re silken, they’re crumpled,
They’re all that remain,
Lain on childhood’s grave with the sweet daisy chain.
13th April 2019
Seeing the little daisies springing up through the grass, always reminds me of sitting & making daisy chains, as a child. Splitting the stems to thread each flower through could be difficult, trying not to slice the loop completely, and making sure the stems were as long as possible, in case of breakage. We wore them round our necks, wrists & as little crowns on our heads. Simple pleasures to while away the day, during endless Summers…poor flowers, we didn’t realise, & there were so many!
ivor20 says:
Outstandingl beautiful, with a sudden sad twist at the end
Debbie Jones says:
Thank you so much, Ivor. It is a bit sad. I have a t.shirt that says “Sad Songs Make Me Happy” by my favourite singer/songwriter, Gretchen Peters..guess it rubs off a bit sometimes, haha!
ivor20 says:
Sad songs do that for me, I cry and smile at the same time
Debbie Jones says:
I find them extremely cathartic, many a sad song has helped me through a tough time, either resonating with the story or thinking how much worse theirs is haha! ?
ivor20 says:
I understand completely Debbie, as you know I’m a great fan of Leonard Cohen’s and I love a local singer/songwriter, Xavier Rudd, his lyrics often make me cry through their honesty and power
Debbie Jones says:
Yes, Leonard Cohen had a very special way with words. I’ve just googled Xavier Rudd & I will have a listen to some of his music..he shares the same birthday as me..only a good few years later! Music is so powerful, in so many ways.
ivor20 says:
I’ve justyou his classic “Spirit Bird”……enjoy…
Debbie Jones says:
Thank you very much, Ivor. Glad you told me the title, the link wouldn’t work for some reason, but I found it. I can totally understand why the words touch you so deeply. Very haunting & beautiful.
ivor20 says:
Yep…… ..aaahh….. emotions are high this week…. I’ve been to a few of his concerts….. His heart and soul goes into his performances and I’ve be seen dancing and crying in the aisles !!
Debbie Jones says:
Aww bless you! I’m sure they’ve been a tonic for your soul, in every way!
ivor20 says:
Yes musi is the best tonic….
ivor20 says:
I’ll send you this glorious song by Xavier Rudd… haha .. i cry every time, I hear the words…..
https://youtu.be/5F6VfrRmmAw
Mark Hodgson says:
Beautiful, and poignant… 🙂
Debbie Jones says:
Thank you so very much, Mark ?
G.Edward Smith says:
Beautiful poem and amazing pictures. Do you miss the snow yet? ?
Debbie Jones says:
Thank you so much, Edward, I was going to get a few more daisy photos today but they were all closed up, too cold! Haha! I miss the beauty of the snow, but not the cold! Hopefully it’s improving through the week! I bet you’re still mopping your brow & boiling over there..do send some this way..please! ?
Peter's pondering says:
I always had difficulty with the threading as I bit my nails. Of course, most boys carried a penknife, it was an essential accoutrement. The problem then was opening the blade. Solution, use my teeth, then use the blade to aid with the daisy chain making. Different times……………..(deep sigh!)