49. Hazel Hall's 'Japonica' - inviting Moya Pacey into the conversation

 

Japonica

 

a quick mist

from heart to eyes—

japonica

my childhood evoked

in carmine blossoms

 

the effort

to steal a sprig receives

torn fingers

the way I’m feeling now—

a little broken

 

our mother

with sparkling crystal vase

and flower frog

her soul hidden

in each arrangement

 

the fragrance

of her old-time garden—

delicate

as if distilled into

an Eau de Parfum bottle

 

her legacy

blooms in my senses
late in life

I cannot grow plants

but I can plant a poem

 

so I pen

a floral tribute

to my mother

for tending the springtime

of my existence

 

Ikebana

that never ending quest

for perfection

the words and petals

that fill our memories

 

 

Hazel Hall is a Canberra poet and musicologist who is interested in hybrid forms. She has published three poetry books, four chapbooks and an anthology on climate change.