Christmas Cactus Series – 2013 (My Heart Burns with Love)

My Heart Burns with Love

The burning,

The yearning,

My heart is full of love for you.

You’ll never know the depth,

It cannot be seen.

♥

Actions may at times lead you to believe you know,

But,

Life’s ebb and flow cause you to blink,

And in that instance your mind questions

My devotion to our link.

♥

My love, like art,

Is timeless,

And priceless.

It will forever be.

♥

As the touch of a feather

Lingers on your skin,

So too, will my love endure

A gentle breeze,

A cajoling force,

The unthinkable.

♥

Oh the burning,

The yearning,

My heart is full of love for you.

copyright Robyn Graham

Note:  In the Victorian language of flowers cactus flowers represent “endurance” and “my heart burns for you”.  The poem above was written with the aforementioned meanings in mind. Notice the red heart in the center of the bottom petal….I love the little miracles of nature!

The Irony of the Definition

The Thistle

My presence

in the

garden

for most

invokes

a smile.

 

My color’s

so

bright,

it glows,

but

falsehood

flows.

For

the

gardener,

whose hand

nurtured

me

to

grow,

did not

know

my

meaning.

 

It

is not

joy

in the

morning,

but

a bold

resistance,

sorrow,

and

mourning.

 

Hatred,

disregard,

and

retaliation

are my

obligation,

but only

by

definition.

 

The

root

of my

being,

no harm

could

ensue,

for

despite

my

spiky

appearance,

I

am

soft

and

fragile

and

grow

tall,

to

above

all,

assist

in

cooking

and

beauty,

and

keeping

you

healthy.

Thistle Budd

Color Glows

Thistle Standing Tall

For Cooking, Beauty, and Health

In the language of flowers the Thistle, also known as safflower, has meanings that do not at all reflect the  beauty and intrigue of the bud or flower.  The meanings of the thistle were featured in the poem above and include: misanthrope, defiance, vengeance, and grief.

I find it somewhat ironic that these words are associated with a flower that is so pretty and is thought to have useful medicinal properties such as: preventing heart disease and stroke, lowering fevers, treating coughs and breathing problems, tumors, pain, and clotting conditions, in addition to other medical uses.  The oil from safflower seed is used as a cooking oil.  The flower is used to color cosmetics and to dye fabrics.  Ref: WebMd

Please note that I am in now way recommending the use of the flower for any of the above referenced purposes.  However, I thought it of interest and wanted to provide a background for the poem above.

2013 Tulip Series – 03

“Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.” – William Shakespeare

2013 Lily Series – 06

“What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God”- Monica Baldwin

Intimacy

Virtue and Chastity

Did you know that white lilies symbolize chastity and virtue – and were the symbol of the Virgin Mary’s purity and her role of Queen of the Angels?

Virtue

Chastity

The Petals Fall

“The tender words we spoke to one another

Are stored in the secret heart of heaven

and one day, like rain,

they will fall and spread

And our mystery will grow green

all over the earth.”

Rumi

The poem above reminds me of fall, the season that is presently upon us.  I have been shooting a lot over the past several days.  Capturing the change of seasons and the fresh surroundings that accompany it.  Notice the fall colors in the image below.  I photographed my roses a lot over the past week fearing that their season was coming to an end.  This particular image, to me, resonates Fall.  The early morning sun low in the sky gives off the warm, golden tones of the changing season.  The colors of the leaves, although only slightly deeper than during the warmer months, are similar to the colors found on certain trees in the Fall.  And the rain drops dance with the breeze to enhance the falling of the petals. The spider web.  I don’t take a step outside, this time of year, without seeing one.  The spiders are flourishing in the cooler weather.

Do you feel the correlation to, and see the symbolism of, the poem in the image?

“…Like rain, they will fall and spread…” – Rumi

Thoughtful Thursday

Introducing “Grace”.

As you view the images let your mind wonder and fill with thoughts of the beauty and Grace within each rose.  Do the images speak to you? I’m hoping they at least give you a brief smile.

 

 

Quiet Reflection

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” – Peter F. Drucker

And they stood, side by side, quietly reflecting the journey.
Robyn Graham

Dignity

“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”  – Michael J. Fox

The Dahlia Represents Dignity

One of Summer’s Last Hurrahs

As Summer fades away she leaves us with one last vibrant hurrah.