Her rose corsage for Mother’s Day,
an icy spray
of petals neat
though bittersweet,
with old and ruffled strip of silk
the shade of milk
tied softly there
in tender care.
That instant my bright blossoms bled
a velvet red
when I caught sight
of hers, frost-white.
© Copyright, Freeda Baker Nichols
Second Place Luncheon Award, Poetry Day, 2000
Poets’ Roundtable of Arkansas, U.S.A.
Published Poets’ Roundtable of Arkansas Anthology 2002
Freeda Baker Nichols 
How touching. I think our color symbolism is interesting and very evocative–another example, the military stars…
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the military stars . . . another good subject for a poem or story . . . thanks
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Corsages were so special … I remember them being bought on special occasions all of the time… Maybe they are still… but, haven’t seen as much…lovely as usual!… contrasting the two …
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Thanks . . . Happy Mother’s Day to you, Marilyn.
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thank you…enjoy your day!
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Reblogged this on Donbury Pond and commented:
I clicked on this wonderfully beautiful poem posted by a blogging friend after I had been reminiscing about a white silk rose corsage wrapped in a little piece of lace I bought for my mom in 1986 from a gas station counter. I’m almost ashamed to admit it was a last minute purchase, but I didn’t know until right before the trip that I was going to get to be home for Mother’s Day. My Mom acted like it was the finest corsage one could buy and wore it with pride to church and all Sunday afternoon during our family gathering. I was so thrilled that she liked it and wore it all day. I was totally thrilled when Mother’s Day came in 1987 and I saw that she had saved it in such a way that she could wear it again the next year in memory of her own mother, my sweet Granny Gilley.
I hope you enjoy my friend’s poem as much as I.
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Thank you. Neat story you have here. I’m happy you enjoyed my poem. Nice memory you have of the corsage for your mother.
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Thank you, Freeda, for a timely post. I had been trying to pen a poem that went with my memory for days in time for Mother’s Day and could get nowhere. I knew the first time I saw your post that your words said all perfectly.
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Super poem, Freeda. What relationship to the mother is the narrator?
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The narrator is wearing a red corsage because her mother is still living. She notices another lady’s corsage which is white, and the narrator is sympathetic to the other lady who has lost her mother. Actually, this poem originated in my mind because of a note in my journal, which says, “I never knew how red a red rose is until I had to wear a white one.” I remember that Mother’s Day vividly even yet. Catherine I hope this answers your question.
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Most would press the rose in a book and at times go back to take a look, to recapture the memory of the day.
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I have a few of the pressed roses or flowers in books. Happy Mother’s Day to you, Ginger.
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Reblogged this on Spontaneous Creativity.
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Thank you. My poem looks lovely on your beautiful blog.
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the shade of milk–how perfect for mothers. Your breadth of subjects is refreshing.
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Thanks, Alice. Have a happy day tomorrow!
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Awesome read 🙂
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Thank you, Ky Grabowski.
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Your welcome 🙂
Cheers!
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Beautiful
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Thank you, Don.
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Thank you.
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