I was think'n 'bout
Naming a rose
After the town I live in.
Then came to mind that the rose
Should have some of the characteristics
That resembles the town.
With that in mind, I thought it could
Have the musty smell of sagebrush after a spring shower.
Or maybe of the sweet fresh smelling air after
A summer lightning storm
It could be a dusty red color.
To match the dresses of the bawdy girls
Down on third street.
Or it could just have a golden hue like
The color of the gold taken from our mountains.
The nectar of the rose should be sweet and thick
Like the maple syrup at the Commercial Coffee Shop.
Or perhaps, like the honey long ago
Taken from Mr. Patton's hives.
And when the wind blows -
The leaves should rustle like the sound
Of a diesel pickup starting up at an intersection.
Or maybe the sound of a lonesome train whistle late in the night.
It shouldn't be some wimpy hybrid rose.
That'll just up and die after the first cold breeze.
But it needs to be a stout hardy bush rose.
Able to take on the rigors of our long cold winter.
And it should have deep strong roots
That not only go back as far as the early settlers
But go much deeper as when the Shoshone Indians
First called this land home.
Finally, the prickles, the thorns,
Should be as sharp and unforgiving
As a hang'n judge.
So, you won't tend to forget.
That the beauty can be admired -
But don't take lightly the determination of this plant -
And this town - to occupy its space - to live and thrive.
YOU ARE READING
Stories and Poems Written from the Garden
PoetryA friend of mine suggested that instead of organizing what I write chronologically that I do so by topic. This book contains short stories and poems written from the garden.