Sanatorium

The garden’s looking better, as in

recovering its health. That polyanthus,

rescued yesterday from among the raspberry canes,

has actually got a flower on it this morning.

After only twenty four hours in a flower pot.

(Two pots in fact. It divided nicely.)

I might call it Polyanthus Borisi –

It looks so much better after a night in ICU.

I’ve always seen my plants more as 

patients than prize winners. Where friends 

toss out the stragglers, sick and feeble,

I tend to bring them on – and end up with

 a garden full of pale faced delicates.

The lupin’s got white fly again.

And that interesting shrub I bought 

last year is looking overshadowed.

Maybe I’ll pot it up and put it 

in my sanatorium,( the balcony)

 until it’s got its strength back.

I can’t use intravenous cures on plants 

 And computers, electronics, have 

changed so much since my nursing days. 

But we’ll see what a bit of sun will do.

and if it likes to be with the geraniums.

It was all there was a hundred years ago 

And some people still recovered. 

Ann R Parker

I have been writing poems or verses one way or another since I was about ten; a long time ago now. It really took off when I joined St Peter’s church in Nottingham city back in the 90s. During the Covid months I have written several, although I don’t know that ‘inspired’ is the right word under these circumstances. I wrote Sanatorium soon after Boris Johnson came out of hospital and when it was still not possible to buy spring plants, so I rescued this little polyanthus, struggling under a shrub in my garden. It is now two plants, both doing nicely in flower pots.
I have also self published several collections of poems, often with a Christian theme.