May 28, 2023

All poetry is here.

Wildflower Field

Spring has found home here,
In this wildflower field.
And the peaceful snow
Has given way
To the the lush grass in its emerald glow.
As life restarts,
A bee buzzes by,
And a monarch lands gracefully
On a red clover nearby.
Dandelions light up the path
Like a carpet of stars,
And daffodils gleam
Like little suns.
Hyacinths sway
In their purple bloom.
They all bask in the sun during the day,
And at night, gaze up at the moon.

In this field, I am reminded
That there’s no wrong way
For a flower to blossom
Or the sun to shine,
And that the only
Will-o’-the-wisp here is mine.
And that like life in the spring,
It is ok to start anew.
Yet in my dreams,
I still only see you.

The word “will-o’-the-wisp” has two meanings, and the intent was to use both of them here simultaneously. The first meaning is the naturally occurring phenomenon of phosphorescent light appearing over marshland. Since the poem takes place in a field, a will-o’-the-wisp wouldn’t happen there, hence “… the only / Will-o’-the-wisp here is mine”, and the will-o’-the-wisp that is referred to is the alternative meaning of the word: an unattainable goal or dream. That ties into the last part of the poem. The word “dreams” in second to last line is meant as life dreams, but they could also be the dreams we have in our sleep. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

The lines “… there’s no wrong way / For a flower to blossom / Or the sun to shine” are meant to be a gentle encouragement to be ourselves.

Oh, and just in case it wasn’t super clear, the monarch that lands on a red clover is a butterfly (both are Vermont references) and not some flying member of a royal family.