The ground is covered
in rose petals.
So much pink, after the rain.
I think of pink champagne,
and the days of my youth.
I think of the pink at dawn
when a new day unfolds.
The petals are soft, kissed
by a thousand raindrops.
I think of all those kisses, set free
in the wide open sky.
I embrace the rain…
as do my pink roses.
The petals of things past,
drift gently to the ground.
The fragrance of the roses remains,
forever etched upon my heart.
A Rose Garden in Spring
I have planted a number of rose bushes over the years. They are a diverse mix of roses, and the blooms are all altogether different. It is hard to pick a favorite because each one is lovely in its own way.
After the rain, the roses lose so many petals. This too, is a beautiful thing when you look upon the ground. The petals form a blur of soft color, washed by the rain, remnants of what was once an exquisite flower.
So much that God has created in His universe defies our ability to capture the magic…We try to capture just a little bit of it by way of photographs and words. We long to say thank you for the incredible sunsets, the ocean breezes, the majestic mountains, a field of wildflowers. Often, when I am in the woods, I simply stare up at the trees. It is always new, these graceful arches above my head, the sense of peace and serenity that overcomes me.
It is good for us to stand beneath these arches, to escape the world for a while. We remember who we are as children of God. His cathedral of nature is all around us, beckoning us to find renewal, to enjoy the abundance of His creation. He finds delight in all that He has created…the hawk that glides in a deep blue sky, the bees that buzz and sleep upon the flowers…and us, of course, His very own children!
I do believe that God loves to delight us with His bountiful creation. It is without end, the wonders of His universe. I have seen the moon so many times. I have seen the stars over and over. I have gazed upon the sea for hours on end. And yet, sometimes, I look up at the moon and it looks so magnificent, I think to myself, this is the biggest and grandest moon that I have ever seen. I will look upon a morning sunrise, and think, “Wow!”. It is as if it were even more spectacular than what I remembered from any other time. Maybe, the older I get, the more in awe I am of everything…time is fleeting, every sunrise matters.
If we are lucky, we seize the gift God has given us in creation. We express our gratitude moment to moment, a prayer continually on our lips. We cannot duplicate the marvels we see before our eyes, the soft-spun wonder of a new day, the starry sky that glistens by night. But, with every breath, we can acknowledge the awe of all we experience, God’s good gift to His children.
Life comes at us pretty fast. We have much to do besides standing in the moonlight!!! But, even in the midst of busy times, or turbulent times for that matter, we can pause for a break from it all, a time of reflection. Perhaps, in the worst of times, that is when we most need to remember all the good that is in our midst, all the beauty spread out before us.
Life surely is a mix of sun and clouds, sun showers, and down-pours. Always, there are things to be grateful for. And then, there are the roses that bloom so soft to the touch and the gloves we wear to protect ourselves from the thorns! At the end of the day, it is the delicate rose petals that tug at our hearts…Life itself is a gift beyond measure, and eternal life, more so. The petals remind us to live our days wisely, rain or shine, the blush of each sunrise and sunset, something to savor.
Psalm 97: 11-12: “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holy name.”
Psalm 96:11: “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.”
What a lovely interlude. Thank you, Linda.
You are welcome! 🙂 We have had a lot of rain, and it is nice to have some sunshine! This month of May has been slipping by quickly…almost summer!!!
“…the older I get, the more in awe of everything I am…” I am with you on that. Thanks for a reminder of the beauty we get to see.
Age is a very good teacher! 🙂 Yes! The beauty is there…It reminds me of the hymn, “All things Bright and Beautiful”, by Cecil Frances Alexander: “Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings…”
a very serenely beautiful tribute to nature who nurtures us if we will only be still to hear, thanks Linda!
Thank you Kate! Yes! We must be listening! We go through life as if on little stepping stones. For each of us the steps are somewhat different and we are called to different things. But through it all, there is the deep blue sky above each of us, the oceans that roar, and the winding streams that ebb and flow. God is continuously at work in His creation…new stars are born, but it is up to us to behold the night sky with all its wonder.
well said Linda, you say it so eloquently!
I LOVE your poem! It’s just exquisite.
Thank you Liz! I am so happy that you like it! The roses are my favorite, but soon, the hydrangeas will be blooming. I always look forward to seeing them each June. I like all the flowers…They each have their time to bloom and then I must wait for the next thing!
You’re welcome, Linda! Our azaleas are just blooming. Next will be the rhododendrons.
I know you will enjoy these springtime blooms! I have a few rhododendrons, but I think they do not get enough sun at the back of the house. (We have a lot of trees.) I get a few flowers, but they are not as they should be. One day, I should move them to a better location…each and every plant needs its own happy place! 🙂
My husband transplanted the rhodies from the back yard to the front when we first bought the house. They’re a good eight feet tall now. We didn’t expect that!
I will have to transplant mine as well…you have inspired me! 🙂
Happy to do my part!
This was just beautiful, Linda! And you’re so right, nature reminds us to be grateful for God’s many gifts. And that is exactly what we need when life gets a bit too busy or depressing. Thank you!
Nature is a gift that is always there for us. I do like the changing seasons…it is like continuously opening a new gift! Even in winter when the landscape loses much of its greenery, there is a serene beauty. You notice all the little things more and a quietude settles over everything. The gifts are there for us to open…God knew we would need birdsong at the break of day and little crickets chirping in the night. 🙂 He gave us love songs with every ocean wave and each and every gentle breeze in the tree branches. We are so very blessed!
Roses AND rose petals on the ground are beautiful. Your poem is a sensory delight, too, Linda! It must smell so wonderful with all those roses and the rain.
We have had so much rain…it is nice to see the sun shining! (With all that rain, I am lucky the roses did not all turn to petals!) 🙂 They do smell wonderful. I like to bring some in the house, but somehow, they always seem prettier outside. They look nice all together when one vine trails into another…pinks and reds all mixed -up.
We’ve had a break in the rain, but thunderstorms tomorrow. I saw the most stunning peonies today while I was out walking. Enjoy your roses! 🌹
Peonies are amazing!!! You do find beautiful things on your walks! (I am sure we have thunderstorms coming as well…)
Thank you! Good luck if thunderstorms are on your way.
Linda I saw your amazing rose 🌹 Petals . Anita
The pink roses are my favorites!
Once again, Linda, you painted the colors and scenes so well in your artful words. Thank you from a guy who never claimed to have a green 👍. God’s grip, Alan
Thank you so very much!!! We have had so much rain this May…the plants are happy for sure. 🙂 These past few days have been sunny and that is a wonderful thing!
Linda, you’ve captured SO beautifully what I’ve experienced myself. I can sit on our deck morning after morning (weather permitting), and enjoy it afresh as if it’s my first time. I never tire of the back-lit trees glowing in the sunrise, and the tuneful birds adding the soundtrack. My heart can’t help but praise the Creator of it all. May we indeed “acknowledge the awe of all we experience, God’s good gift to His children”–just as you’ve said.
Each day is a blessing, and it is all there before us anew every morning. The world is a busy place and there is much to distract us…but if we can seize those moments of quietude, we do find bliss, and strength for the hard times in life. (I love your description of the trees glowing in the sunrise…a beautiful view!)
Wonderful post Linda. I relate so much to the “on the spot” wonders that happen in God’s creativity. Sometimes I ponder deeply, and other times just enjoy. At minimum whisper praise.
I understand the whisper praise…so much awe in all that God has made. It can be in the littlest of things…and then suddenly you just know, the seemingly ordinary is so extraordinary.
I continue to be amazed at the diversity and variety of wonders we are blessed with on a daily basis, and we certainly know who to thank for it all. I agree if we can live in the moment and pay attention to our surroundings, there’s just so much more that we otherwise miss with the hustle and bustle of life. Roses always make me smile, as did this post.🙂
Your very kind comment made me smile! Thank you! If we can find the wonder in the little things, it makes the harder things a whole lot easier to handle. I think God smiles when we smile…He loves His children. The storms in life will come, the heavy rains, and teardrops. Our hearts have room for many things…If we fill up on the joys of each and every day, the ribbons of hope laced throughout it all, we stay stronger. The tears still sting, but the roses keep blooming, and God’s love never fails us…through the raindrops and teardrops, and the clouds of life that cannot overshadow us.
Lovely post, Linda. Agreed, time in Nature is incredibly nurturing for us, especially during the toughest of times. Thanks for sharing your heart. ☀️
Thank you! So many of my happiest childhood memories are times spent outdoors. I loved when my mom would let us stay up past our bedtime in summer. In that respect, the child in me is alive and well…I still like to go barefoot in the grass all these years later! 🙂
Pink for me is the colour of Christmas Joy so perhaps it means God has given you Christmas joy to start off your summer😊. And what better way than to begin a season in the quiet contemplation of nature?
I love pink! Blue was always my favorite color, but pink is a close second. (Or maybe, it is a tie.) I love your comment about starting summer with Christmas joy. A beautiful red Cardinal has been coming up on my deck for the past few mornings. That spot of red is awesome with all the greenery…he is quite splendid! With all the green, pick and red do stand out in a marvelous way.
Linda, I will never bemoan the rose petals on the ground again! 😀 Thank you for teaching me to see them in a new light. Your poem is a gem, such light and wonder, such profound depth in seeming simplicity. I love the repetition here as well as the poignant thoughts:
‘I think of pink champagne,
and the days of my youth.
I think of the pink at dawn
when a new day unfolds.’
Thank you for your reflections in your prose and many days these past weeks in Sweden I would stand in awe in the forest, gazing at the trees in wonder, absorbing the peace and tranquility, feeling the strength of it all. Temples come in many places. Wishing you well. Xx
Thank you so very much for your beautiful comment! I understand the beauty of the forest in Sweden. Many years ago when I was a student in college, I spent a semester in Cambridge, England, as part of an overseas study program. With two other friends, we travelled to the home of my grandfather in Sweden where he had grown up. He had passed away years earlier, but my Godparents resided there. I came in the winter, and when I saw the forest of trees all full of snow, I was ecstatic. From there, we visited Kalmar Castle, and other places I had heard about throughout my childhood. The vision of the trees spread out before me is one of my fondest recollections…It really was as if I had ‘come home’.
Bless! Linda, what an incredible experience and I am deeply touched how you felt you’d come home! The Swedish forest in winter is mesmerising and magical, I am glad you got to see this, visit where your grandfather grew up and meet family as well. Wow! How exciting that you had a chance to study at Cambridge. I live less than hour from the city and love it and hear only wonderful things about the university. Experiences like this form the adults we become, I feel! xx
My overseas experience was wonderful! Our college had an overseas program in Cambridge. We did not attend Cambridge University…that would have been quite awesome!!! It is a beautiful place. Wherever we went, we met great people who wanted to help American students. Sweden was a special destination for me.(My father was raised in Finland, but I did not get there to visit.) All of my life, we have celebrated the Scandinavian customs. So, in so many ways, it was like a homecoming. 🙂
Your post and pictures make me want to plant some roses this year. I live in way up north in Minnesota, so you do not see many roses up here due to the brutal winters. When we lived in southern California our neighbors had rose bushes planted on the property line next to our driveway. So every time we got out of our car, I would have to smell their roses which they did not mind.
The roses do have an awesome fragrance! Right now, the hydrangeas are in bloom. Ours are blue, and they are the bluest blue! I like the pink ones also. Mostly, I enjoy all the different flowers…they each have their own beauty. You must have a beautiful summer in Minnesota…I hope the season is off to a good start!
A gorgeous poem, Linda. There are so many lessons for us in nature if we pause to watch and listen. This one was beautiful.
Thank you! Yes! There is so much mystery and beauty all around us in nature. We must be present to take it all in. Each and every little thing seems to have a story to tell…
What a beautiful post Linda.
Thank you! I hope your summer is off to a good start! 🙂 We have plenty of sunshine now after a lot of rainy days…