Come To Our Flower-Garden Poem by Gert Strydom

(for Daleen)

Come to our garden of flowers my love and be surprised
and see how the crowns of thorns astonish with their beauty
when you come out at the porch at the front door
Take my hand and hold onto it tightly

and walk into a world where nothing impairs nature,
see how a chameleon disguises himself in the flowers
where daylilies, irises of all colours are blooming,
where water continually splashes into the fishpond.

See the bright gazanias, verbenas
and turn a snow white rose around and around in your hands
when a beetle hums near arum-lilies and calf’s eyes
and see the bright purple, red and yellow dahlias.

Come to our garden of flowers my love and be surprised
when the late afternoon lingers before sunset
and see how you fit into my life and into my world
when sparrows, weavers and doves do descend in swarms

to peck up seed and bread crumbs on the grass,
where the honey bush and afternoon lady grows in paint drums.
Come and look and experience everything thoroughly
where the loveliest flowers in our garden bloom

where trailing geraniums hang walls full
and come revel like a innocent child,
let the fragrances of gardenia and jasmine catch you
when everywhere we find the most beautiful treasures.

where angel-wings blow red white and pink in the wind
where roses grow white, red, pink and yellow tree high
before the night does devour the day
and darkness gets its enchantment with the moon.