Lilac: A reflection
The sensual
Spoken rendition of “Lilac”.
Process
I travel periodically for my “full-time” career, mostly between cities in the midwestern states of America, and occasionally to places closer to the expansive bodies of water we call oceans. This affords me the opportunity to explore some incredible places, have periodic quiet evenings, and entertain clients in some truly great restaurants. It also means I often miss some of the “little-big” things…dinners with my family, conversations where the kids open up, walks with the dog, and sometimes the first day the lilacs open.
March and April are beautiful months in Missouri. Winter’s frosty grip relents and cycles of bloom begin. I love watching the first bulbs push through the ground, followed by multitudes of bright flowers, coloring book trees and budding bushes. Unfortunately, my busiest travel season coincides with these beautiful months. Last April, I had just boarded a flight to return home when my wife texted me a beautiful picture of our lilac bushes first bloom that had opened with a beautiful yellow and black butterfly nestled into the purple and the green, accompanied by the note, “It’s my favorite day of spring, Lilac day!”
I decided to ignore the compiling emails from days out of the office to write for enjoyment during the flight home. I reflected on the text and this short but poignant little poem arrived. There was no plan for this piece other than to write a poem about a lilac and simply follow the lines wherever they wandered. One line bloomed into another until six (eventually split into seven) had been written and the poem was in full fragrance.
Thankfully I was heading home and was able to experience the view and the scent firsthand that evening.
Flow is a lovely thing. When it arrives, just flow with it.
Themes
When I capped my pen and read what reclined on the page, this piece thoroughly surprised me. During my first couple years of writing, I did not explore themes of sensuality or love. But I felt nothing but sensuality massaged into these free-flowing thoughts when the words came together. Anticipation, fleeting pleasure, teasing, scent, and touch of two bodies coming together created a simultaneous nostalgia and a pull towards a future moment.
Lilac blooms in slow anticipation
with glory for only a moment
yet plant her throughout your garden
to tease my heart
with sweet scent memory
of your body
pulled to mine.
Final thought
A short reflection for a short poem. When it comes to feelings of sensuality, too many words only erode what is there. I’ll let this poem do the talking.
Thank you to Hudson for sharing his beautiful photo to accompany the poem. There is a beauty in the focus and the blur, along with the lilac in the foreground with its mix of open and tightened blossoms that fit this piece perfectly.
May you be caught breathless.
Brian
If you missed the original “A Poem” post of Lilac (and Hudson’s photo), I hope you will read and enjoy! You can find it here.
So lovely, Brian. Inspiring to read how you stopped and switch off from work and embraced your creativity.
"and read what reclined on the page"... you just casual throwing in a stunning description of writing ;)
Do you mind if I ask what your job is? I generally only travel for conferences and sometimes I find it a hassle, but I need to remind myself now and again how lucky I am that I get to do that. In a few weeks I'm off to Cairns for the first time, to be by the Great Barrier Reef. It's been a bit of a "urgh, I have to prep for that" on my mind, partly because so much else has been going on, but taking the time to read this Reflection has made me realise I'm actually quite excited about it.
Beautiful!