Golden Stroll

Poetry

Golden Stroll

Katie Frances Hartless

dVerse, fantasy, nature

I’ve learned many things
from the peculiar-colored flowers
planted in late afternoon.

Garden Orchestra sounds
the daisy-gong too soon.

Curious bread-and-butterflies,
monuments, mermen,
fields of geese (none lie-in)
and the constant feeling

something golden’s gone missing.

The fall is a palace overrun with weeds.

Repose and read but don’t let your garden go to seed.

I read Alice and Wonderland when I was seven years old, in the garden behind our house. It’s a tale that always comes to mind, as it did yesterday, strolling the gardens of the Nymphenburg Palace here in Munich. The gardens have been closed since October and just recently reopened to the public. I was surprised to see how much the weeds had grown-up, the flower beds just being planted as I guess the gardeners were also not working during the lockdown. Still, it was great to walk, repose, and read a bit even in the odd garden. Here is my quadrille combining the two things.

https://youtu.be/g0lbfEb8MMk

30 responses to “Golden Stroll”

msjadeli

I like the amalgamation of sensory experiences that make up the golden stroll. Feels like the person is in a brand new place or revisiting an old place after a long absence.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you very much, Lisa. I enjoyed writing this quadrille. The shaving of words was a bit more difficult, but worth it, I think.
  
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  1. msjadeli
    
    You’re most welcome, Karen.
    
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De Jackson

Oh, I love this so much. “daisy-gong” feels like a poem in and of itself. I can hear it. Wonderful.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, De. Enjoyed the gardens recently-and caught the very end of an orchestra practicing. Live music-just magical.
  
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Beverly Crawford

Stopping by the palace only to find it’s suffering from neglect. Otherwise it’s scenic and peaceful.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  I was shocked yesterday, but it was still a golden stroll-just with oddness about it. A curious kind of neglect. Thanks, Bev.
  
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Grace

What a lovely place you have described this garden. I am delighted with the flowers and butterflies.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Grace. I love reading in the gardens, but try not to get stuck there in my books, remembering that real life is still going on around me. 😉
  
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Susan Joy Clark

Very interesting fantasy. I like the bread-and-butterflies reference. The accompanying photo is really nice too.

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Lucy

It’s so mysterious and vivid in such fantasy setting. It’s as well both comforting and unsettling, particularly catching my eye here:

“constant feeling something’s missing.
Palace, overrun with weeds.
Repose and read but don’t go to seed.”

So beautifully penned and exquisite; I love your take on the prompt.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Lucy. It’s true that I can get very lost in my stories and in gardens. Much in common with Alice, I fear, and definitely a weed. 😉
  
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kim881

Love the hints of Wonderland in your quadrille, especially the ‘curious bread-and-butterflies’.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Kim. That one is from Lewis Carroll, but it seemed to fit right in with my odd garden stroll yesterday. Love that the garden and my books have endless lessons to teach.
  
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Ingrid

This sounds like a garden of wonders! I am sure the mystery has not gone, but is only sleeping under all those weeds…

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Haircut and a shave does wonders, doesn’t it. 🙂 Very true. I will revisit as the children love exploring the gardens here.
  
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  1. Ingrid
    
    Indeed! 🤣
    
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Hobbo

What an eclectic garden collection, loved it!

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you kindly, Hobbo. All in a day’s stroll.
  
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Glenn A. Buttkus

We don’t really have palaces in America; they’re called estates, like San Simeon in CA. The pandemic has altered the face and soul of the whole planet. Good work.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  I agree about the altering of the soul and the face, well that’s always been changing. Thanks for much for reading and commenting.
  
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areadingwriter

that last line packs a punch, K. An expert contrast to the tender beginning and middle. beautiful.

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Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

I think that a garden slightly overgrown with weeds can be even more exciting and mysterious. My thoughts went to the secret garden instead.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  It was almost jungle book yesterday, but it is true. There’s a lot of surprises in an untamed gardens. Thanks, Björn.
  
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Arcadia Maria

Lovely poem. I felt like I went on a trip reading this.

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ben Alexander

bread-and-butterflies,

I love this reference, KH – that movie is such a classic.

Such a lovely piece!

❤
David

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, David. The springtime gardens have a lot of magic to offer both children and adults.
  
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Ali Grimshaw

Even a small yard can offer big curiosity.
I especially liked these lines of yours.
“Garden Orchestra sounds
the daisy-gong too soon.”
I love the idea of a garden as an orchestra of sounds. Wonderful.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Ali. There was an orchestra rehearsing in the garden the other day; we caught just the last few notes, which made me think of the plant and insect orchestra.
  
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Cindy Georgakas

a wonderful piece so intriguing KH!💖

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