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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Softly, Roses



The bier, formal, pristine,
worn hands folded primly 
on the crisply folded sheet,
her face serene, untroubled,
all pain eased, no more grasping at life
or plucking at blankets:
her spirit had flown free of its fetters.

Though it was mid-winter,
windows closed,
the soft fragrance of roses 
suffused the room,
perfuming her passage
into the land of souls.


for Susie's prompt at Real Toads: Perfume

I have heard family stories about the scent of roses accompanying some souls as they passed over, though there was no earthly explanation for it.

17 comments:

  1. Lovely and appropriate mi amiga. This can assuage the pain felt by those who have lost an incarnate friend or family member.

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  2. This is beautifully emotive, Sherry ❤️ I too have heard something similar. Here it is believed that when a loved one visits us (in spirit) fragrance of sandalwood or rose accompanies.

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  3. This is absolutely beautiful! I had not heard that, but it is somehow comforting.

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  4. One of my favourite of your poems Sherry - the plucking at blankets so poignant & a soulful second verse

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  6. Thank you for this soft memory.

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  7. it's beautiful, and fulfilling...

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  8. This is beautifully constructed to lead the reader on into its final thoughts, light as a petal dropping, when life falls away from us--at least for some, and that peace is eloquent here in every line. I think your new home is agreeing with your muse, Sherry.

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  9. This is so moving, Sherry.
    After my grandmother passed away I kept smelling her perfume, which was lily of the valley.

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  10. I liked it...and want it to be true...it is such an important event, it seems to need some special thing to go along....often it just happens, and that is all. My Mom took three breaths and did not exhale, that was all there was, I was left with the pain, and there was no smell of roses.

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  11. all pain eased, no more grasping at life
    or plucking at blankets

    This reminds me of my grandmother, though I did not notice a scent of roses when she passed, fresh flowers always remind me of her.

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  12. Oh, this is so beautiful, Sherry! Really moving.

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  13. I love the scent that follow you... this is how I would love to pass one day.

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  14. I've heard of that scent too. I like your depiction of this peaceful death scene. I hope it will be ours some day.

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  15. I remember when my grandmother died the scent of roses lingered with me for years. I was only nine and knew nothing about death, but I felt it must be a garden where roses never die. Beautiful poem. Thanks so much for writing for the prompt.

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