Marilyn Peck: ‘All the Roses Died’, ‘At Mooloolaba by the Sea’ and ‘Playing with Fire’

All the Roses Died

All the roses died.
Their beds untidy and unmade—
covered with faded things.
If we’d been young we’d’ve
upgraded roses you’d never gift
to anyone. Overgrown beds
can’t be mown.
How could we have known?
It’s sad! We should’ve tried.

The heat’s early. It’s revealed
in leaves’ need for sun’s
shimmering hot moistness.
Hot frogs fill the river’s run,
croaking rich velvety coarseness.
Roses mildew in rain.
Fruit trees bend and split with strain.
We don’t shed a tear this year
We’ve retired.

Marilyn Peck

At Mooloolaba by the Sea

Remembering early morning walkers—
Some couples moved briskly and some sedately, keeping alive;
While middle-aged ladies came lately to realize
Their relative size
Might need trimming and their ankles, slimming.

Here am I,wary, still amazed by
Tight lycra-clad bike-riders. There were many free-wheeling past
The few, slow walking slow talking that asked
How brightly green the grass.
Power walking wasn’t spoiling anyone’s fun

Or breakfasts of sedentary folk
At their croissants, cappuccino or hot chocolates by half past eight.
Chilled orange juice, champagne by crate;
Tall glasses, sedate
Fluted crystal, all white napery hemmed,

Displayed invitingly, set out
On picnic tables beside public BBQ’s where bacon grilled beside
Frilled eggs on hot-plates. There, eggs resided
Sitting on spitting, fried
Bread sopping bacon grease, perfuming the park.

Mooloolaba by the sea; replete—
We laughed our fatted heads off in whimsy and remembrances,
Fated to have good cholesterol tolerances
Due to inheritances
Of genetic traits, earlier love-making and luck.

Marilyn Peck

Playing with Fire

Playing with fire or pomegranates
to eat a forbidden seed;
shaking out crumbs from a rich man’s table
when beggars are in need;
putting out fires, pouring on oil
or losing shoes in flight,
a cooling draft of water, when intent
upon a fight
may slow the need to inflict some heed-
less words—oh, never play the preacher—
What fateful words did Eve say,
Helen say, Marilyn Monroe say
that never should be said?
Was conversation too direct before
they went to bed?

Marilyn Peck