Benicia Love Poem: Essence

Essence by Betty Finocchiaro

In the garden outside our kitchen
John has planted a patch of violets
Walking among them
I try not to crush the leaves
or delicate flowers

Bending to gather a few leaves
the heart-shapes intrigue me
Forming a small purple bouquet
shaped into a nosegay
a violet vapor rises
my heart lurches
while I clutch my bouquet tightly 

It is May, the day bright and sunny
I walk to the shutters, open them
letting in the magical light
My wedding day
in Sicily
Preparations all about
White ribbons, white satin dress
a roomful of white roses 

Mount Etna, majestic, proud
still wearing her shawl of white
In a short time the snow will disappear
For now, her blue-tinged shadows
lend their essence to the day
a hint of light grey smoke rises
from her depths

In the garden below
orange and lemon trees in full bloom
Fragrance, as though borne
on the tips of fluttering angel wings
permeates the air

I descend the stone steps
surrounded by a garden of violets
my beloved has planted

The hem of my long dress
disturbs the violets beneath my feet
As though protesting, they send forth
their perfume enveloping my love and me 

The mountain has cast its long
shadow across the years
It is all of another time