Light, purple blossoms
An eye-level bush
Sweet, haunting fragrance
A first date
walking Highland Park amongst
light, purple blossoms
A home, a family
vases filled with blooms from
an eye-level bush
Memories of your lives and love
triggered by the
sweet, haunting fragrance
Lilacs bring to mind my parents. I walked the paths through the flowers at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY today. The sights and the fragrance brought many memories of their lives and love wafting through my mind.
My parents first date was to the Lilac Festival in the late 1950's. They drove out to Rochester from Buffalo, NY. My dad thought my mom would enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers. He must have been right because they were happily married for over 25 years.
Growing up, there were lilac bushes on both sides of my house. I think they were planted in memory of this first date. My mom loved the smell of these flowers and would fill the house with them each Spring. For me, the smell is just too overwhelming and I remember not enjoying those weeks when the beautiful purple clusters of flowers filled our home.
Now I live about 10 minutes from Highland Park. I often wonder if my footsteps have traced the path of their first date through the trails of lilacs.
Poetry form: Cascade Poem
Cathy, thank you for sharing this poem and part of your relationship with the flowers! The poem is nice, and I enjoy the form as well as what you've done with it. I wish we could grow lilacs in the south; they're one of the things I miss about living in my childhood Ohio.
ReplyDeleteAlways amazing the strength that our sense of smell has to transport us through memory.
ReplyDeleteI never heard this story about your parents before. Makes me wonder if all the times I took field trips there with kindergartners we may have followed their path as well?...Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful poem and beautiful story. I love your blog.
ReplyDelete