Marigolds
Marigolds always remind me of you,
I guess because you despised them so.
Were the flowers too ordinary
or their spicy fragrance offensive to your superior senses?
Were their colors of yellow, orange, gold, rust
too garish for your discriminating taste?
Too bright, too gaudy, too common?
A lowly flower found in cheap seed packets
and blooming in less tasteful gardens,
their cheerful, happy countenance, a childish bouquet.
We were never the exquisite flower to place in your lapel,
marigolds and me.
– Kathleen G. Everett © 2012
thecourseofourseasons 
Well, fie on he who looks down upon marigolds!
I’d take one in my lapel ANY day!!
I agree! Thanks – K
Well, I hope the next bouqet that rotter gets…dusts him with enough pollen to sneeze his way to hell. Plenty of lapels waiting for your marigolds!
Thanks Jackie – that is a great response to this poem! : ) K
i always rather go for the non-exquisite and less complicated…both..when it comes to flowers and people…ugh…it stings if you like someone who thinks someone else is not exquisite enough to spend time with..
I go for that too! This was a fun poem to write and seemed to touch off some interesting comments. Thanks so much for your time – it means a lot. K
People garnish salads with marigolds… edible are we….
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! k
oh snap….love the close on this…ugh….great contrast in the first two lines that sets the tone…and you know in the end i imagine you are far better off…not good enough, harumph….
Your response made me laugh out loud! Thank you my friend for your kindness K
I’ve heard that marigolds keep pests out of your garden, so we plant them in both the veggie and rose gardens. Maybe they’re working for you, too–keeping that best out.
That is so funny – thanks! K
Ouch! First time I ever felt a marigold with thorns, Kathleen.
Well done!
Thank you so much – it means a lot. K
Yes – wonderful poem. Better to have your heart on your sleeve than be a boutoniere (sp?) in someone’s lapel! k.
Thanks – I am happy you liked it. K
Funny the things that remind us and yeah if they are too wack and think they are better, kick them from your shack and make the door hit them on the way out haha
Thanks – probably good advice! K
This time of year, marigolds, chrisanthromums, geraniums are such a treat as the rest of the garden falls away.
Always cheerful flowers, I think. Thanks for dropping by and commenting! K
I enjoyed this..brilliant use of marigold as metaphor all the way through.
I am so happy you liked it – thanks! K
Kathleen, wonderful poem. I really like the use of “marigolds” as a metaphor throughout even from your very first line asking — “Marigolds always remind me of you,
I guess because you despised them so.” ?? And then you unfolded each characteristic —
“Were the flowers too ordinary”…. “a childish bouquet” — lovely
I certainly made bouguets out of marigolds too!
Lovely — marigolds are not really ordinary — a wildflower close to a child’s heart!
Thanks, Joanie! Didn’t you plant marigolds as a child? I did and they always came up and bloomed – no matter where they were planted. A good metaphor too! Thanks again my friend! K
I like the flower comparision very much! Even the simplest of flowers is worthy of appreciation (and that goes for people too). Very well done, Kathleen! 🙂
p.s. marigolds are the only flower that make me sneeze
Thanks so much, Sarah. Remind me not to send you a marigold bouquet! : )
It makes me sad & angry when someone thinks we’re not good enough for them…but I’ve since learned that it means they are not good enough for us & we are better off without them …IMHO 🙂
I know what you mean, Louise. This poem has an interesting voice to me – not angry or sad but understanding in a way. I must say the final lines took me by surprise when writing – K