RosesRosesRoses

 Overwhelmed by roses
each bloom an explosion
of tender petals

sensuous curves

soft recesses
deep with color.

Bloom upon bloom,
some shy
tinted shadow-blue
 hiding behind siblings,

while others bold and haughty
push forward
to wear sunlight like an accessory
gilding themselves
with gold sunsets
and morning lavender.

Overwhelmed by roses
without focal reference,
each detail
demanding top preference.
The eye wanders
the heart follows
and is lost in beauty.

Another 5" x 7" watercolor sketch from the rose garden in Elizabeth Park, West Hartford, Connecticut. These were roses from bed 475, according to the Helen S. Kaman Rose Garden bed map.  

Gnarled Guardian

 Inside the Heritage Rose Garden
ancient lineages bloom

secure within stone walls

guarded by

a gnarled giant.

This is a 5" x 7" watercolor sketch of a tree just outside the Heritage Rose Garden in Elizabeth Park, West Hartford, Connecticut. Visit in mid-June to experience the full fragrance and pay respects to this guardian as you exit toward the main Helen S. Kaman Rose Garden with it's impressive beds, arches, and gazebo.