Reminders

Erik and Naomi visited for Jeff*s birthday (way too brief a visit), so I walked the yard and gathered whatever was blooming: false indigo in sprays, a purple and white clematis blossom, deep pink roses from the rose bush in the yard, pink peonies from back behind the garage.  Placed them in the vase brother Lane gave me years ago because it looks exactly like a giant black pitted olive (my favorite food of all).  Every time I see it, I smile.  The flowers on the front table remind me to keep looking for what blooms next.  Soon I*ll figure out where to plant the sunflowers.

With the temperature extremes

The rain

The ups and downs

The rosebush budded in one day

Woke up in deep pink blooms

This noon

After the rain.

The clematis promises to do the same,

If I remember right,

In dark purple:

Maybe tomorrow

Maybe Saturday

There*s no actual predicting

Such things.

That*s the joy:

To see what comes.

And when.

I cut stems from the garden.

Arranged loosely In the black olive vase (pitted),

They remind me

To keep looking

Even behind the garage

Where the peonies

Unfurl.