George-Anna Harbeson, c. 1926
Thought I'd share one of my mom's poems today, in honor of her birthday. She died in 2008. She would have been 87.
She wrote several poems entitled Florist's Daughter. Her father, George Harbeson, was a bookseller, flower farmer, poet and writer of political commentary. He appears over and over in my mother's poetry and prose, in her reminiscences, her stories and longings...right up until her passing.
This poem was printed in the Christian Science Monitor March 26, 1949, when she was 26, about seven years after her father's death.
Florist's Daughter
I was too young to know
The misty blue of iris
Would be forever stamped upon
my mind,
And the warm colors of peonies
And rainbow rows of tulips
Marching down to meet the sun
Where it sank beyond the silver
poplar hedge.
I was too young to know
The beauty of the flowers
My father tended would stay
with me
Through all the years
Like buds unfolding in my mind
Longing for expression,
In cool and petaled words
Yet remaining forever
as undefinable
As the misty blue of iris.
---George-Anna Harbeson Carter
1934 newspaper ad for my grandfather's Ohio flower farm, found it searching the internet
Previous blog post here, where I wrote about finding a picture of my grandfather I'd never seen before, as well as a little booklet of his poetry.
Thank you for sharing your mother's poem.
ReplyDeleteIt has great meaning for me.
Diana (who has lost her garden, except in memory)
Blessed Be.
Loving your Mom's poetry, how sad alzheimers robbed us all of more. You are her daughter- must be in the blood - this poetry thing, the way of seeing that is so delightful, moving, alive!
ReplyDeleteLOVE