Camelias are in full bloom
in our garden –
beautiful pink, rose-like flowers
dotted on leaves
of After-Eight green.

Seeing the camellias
makes me smile.
They remind me of Dolores
who absolutely loved
these camellias
and took great pride
in the camellia grove i
that Danny had planted
in the garden
even though,
every year without fail
her neighbour’s camellia
would come into bloom
before hers!
(Dolores’s indignation
was really quite comical!)

Today I walk around
the camellia grove
in a garden
that used to belong
to Dolores and Danny
and has now passed down
to us.
Seeing the pink polkadot shrubs
makes me smile
as I remember Dolores.

Today is her birthday,
you see.

I suspect that
as Dolores looks down
from above,
she’s still incredibly proud
of her camellias
and I also suspect
that she’s equally proud
of our wee family.

And in my heart
I wish Dolores
a very happy birthday
as she rests in peace.

© Claire Murray