This poem, originally titled Last Days, was inspired by the photograph, Last Days, by Mary Jean Campanellie.
TWO ROSES REMINISCE
By Linda Eve Diamond
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Said one rose to the other
in their language of lovers….
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The end is looming near
my sweet Rose, darling dear.
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Remember when you were famous
for your soft skin and vibrant blush?
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But tenderness becomes ever-softer
and love’s colors only deepen inside.
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What a beautiful life we’ve led,
standing for something so sacred:
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Sweet emotion, love, and a lifetime
of devotion, together entwined.
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Photo: Last Days © Mary Jean Campanelli
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After I wrote The Bow Frog poem (The Enchanting Spirit of Music), David Bowers, President of the Flager Beach Photography Club, invited me to write poems inspired by photo club member photographs, then give a reading with the photos displayed. So many of the photographs were beautiful and inspiring, and I was especially struck by this image by Mary Jean Campanelli. These two roses, so elegant and frail, photographed together in this late stage of their lives, seemed to be telling a tender love story. (Both Mary Jean and her husband, Joe, take stunning photographs. Browse their Website at www.campanellies.com.) Other photo/poem pairings from this project were posted on an earlier website and will, I hope, find their way to this website, soon.
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