Linden Summer Dreams

Have you ever had a scent that took you far away?
To a distant memory where you once did play?
Well this happened to me on a sleepy summer day...

It came about when I did a walk one sunny afternoon
And suddenly I stepped inside a special kind of room
I then I heard a buzzing sound up in the canopy
The humming of the honey bees intoxicated me
But most of all, what I recall was the sweet perfume
Wafting o'er my senses five, it slowly did consume.

Above the flowers sweet and gold were bracts so green and long
They looked like helicopter wings delicate but strong
Amidst the fragrance and the sound, I slowly fell asleep
And dreamed of places far away with stories wild and deep



Bees a chanting...
       Eyelids slanting...
               Wings a spinning...
                            Dreams beginning...
       


The fragrance carried me away with its scent sublime
To other places in the world and to other times
Places where the linden tree is loved and so revered
For its special treasures for a multitude of years

Slovenia was the special place I first saw in the east
Where children danced around the tree during spring time feasts

And then I saw the linden tree in Polish countrysides
Protecting castles and churches old with reverence and pride
And artisans were carving wood from the linden tree
Of Mary holding her little child oh so tenderly
​
​And then I flew to cities grand, Berlin and Paris too
Where linden trees dotted streets and giant avenues
And mothers in the land of France had a wisdom best
Linden tea for children young to help them sleep and rest
And it is said in tales of old that maidens young and free
Waited for their knights so bold 'neath the linden tree 
In Germany the leaders met in tiny village squares
Underneath the linden tree to make a judgement fair
For linden trees were symbols then of justice, truth and peace
In ancient lands and ancient times of Turkey, Rome and Greece

I flew around the world it seemed on that summer's day
To places where the linden tree had stories old to say

So if you ever find yourself amidst the linden sap
You just might like to fall asleep for a summer nap
And climb aboard to journey far on helicopter wings 
Where the linden tree is loved by poets, knights and kings.

written by Christine Summerfield © July 22, 2018

Madame Chartreuse

Have you heard the news?
Did you all hear hear?
I have some little clues...
About a guest who's here!

She is a color like no other
Come and take a peek
Half of one and half of the other
She is quite unique.

She brings a special kind of sheen to places in the shade
A mix of yellow and of green, she is on parade!

Other kinds of greens do grow
in my garden fair
Avocado, Forest Green
Sage and Moss and Pear.

And then there is Pistachio
Granny Apple too
Effervescent Lemon Lime
Will make you say "At Choo!"

​But this one is fluorescent green
She comes from South East France
A cordial made by silent monks
From one hundred plants!

She has a very special name
It is La Grande Chartreuse
Yellow Green and luminous
One you can't refuse!

Here's a few of her plants in my garden bed
She paints the flowers and the leaves, they'll make you turn your head!

Hellebore of Corsica is greeny-yellow gold
Her foliage is evergreen even in winter's cold.
And then Hydrangea shrub is there, her name is Annabelle
Her flowers are so delicate, she's quite the Mademoiselle.
And then there is a carpet wild that runs along the ground
Creeping Jenny she is called, she does not make a sound.