The Garden by Michael Keshigian

He abandoned the garden 

she cultivated so long ago,

no longer capable

of watching gentle bees

whirring, landing 

to sip sweet nectar

upon trained wildflowers.

Now weeds propagate 

where thick pods of marigolds 

and hostas once separated cultivation

from forest spontaneity.

Where she would stand

to admire colors

which blossomed at her beckoning,

designed with violets and pansies

dashed with peonies, 

the rosebush fragranced 

the enclosure

from its single stem

each time she passed.

Now its choked by moss 

that turns the stone shelves 

she laid in patterns,

damp in the green dress of negligence.  

Nature’s epitaph for beauty lost.

Michael Keshigian, from New Hampshire, has been published in numerous national and international journals, recently including Aji, San Pedro River Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, Muddy River Review, Passager and has appeared as feature writer in over twenty publications with 6 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations (michaelkeshigian.com).