Geranium Decor

By Leonie, 78. Port Fairy, VIC

A small geranium pokes its pink face through a hole in the fence
Siblings spread out in a riot of colours behind.
Bright leggy blooms in patches so dense
Neglected, half spent in the westerly wind
Crowding the path to a once fine weatherboard house
With splayed grey boards like hag’s teeth creaking in the breeze
A rusty tin is home to a small grey mouse
Shutters on windows of broken glass, almost unhinged
Threaten to fall at the hint of a sneeze
Across the frail front wall shadows dance in a crooked grin
As the wind plays havoc in the apple trees 
An old iron cot can be seen through a gap
Where the boards have deferred to the rot
Allowing the blooms to enter the room and carpet the floor
A grand design, a masterly stroke of nature’s interior decor
Straining on it’s foundations, resilient as an old crone
This house is swathed in colourful shades
This house that somebody once called home.

Panting: Henri Matisse. Still Life with Geraniums. 1910

Read more by Leonie by clicking here.

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Andrew McTavish
Andrew McTavish
11 months ago

Well written!