in riverwater, like in summer songs,
there is no fear, only
longing. we have never
once swum naked, never sunk
our suspicions in dark rivermud
to drown with all their scrapmetal
hearts; instead we bury them
in the backyard of the co-
habitation we both agree
was too soon, next
to the roses by the bleached-
bone fence. i miss your
honeysuckle, the pulling
sweet drips of you
with my tongue. i long
for a good, hard
stretch of new growth,
a backwards of time,
depths that brighten
in sunlight. i want
to plant lavender
and strawberries, shoo
away the stale that
creeps damp-wise
into us. i am
bareso(u)led. & tired
of pruning.
the tenth muse 
Pruning is the most thankless job – all harsh, unforgiving. Yet hopefully it will extend the life of plants, of love, of desire. A beautiful metaphor. Really like the way you handled this poem, especially the honeysuckle.
Thank you, Marina. The honeysuckle seems to be the favorite part of many!
Lavender and honeysuckle… instead of bramble and bushes.. I really think this works so well.. but sometimes reality of life brings us back to pruning.
Eh. Reality is what you make of it, I guess. And pruning can be cleansing at times. Thanks, Björn!
whew….the burying them in the back yard of cohabitation…as opposed to letting them sink in the mud with the steel hearts….
i am all for the new life over that which creeps….really fine progression in this joanna
thanks, brian. i’m all for it, too! smiles.
Great quiet tale here. Loved all the natural allusions, esp the line
” i long
for a good, hard
stretch of new growth”
Keep growing – it hurts because it’s making you stronger. Big ups for the little lady- Mosk
thanks, Mosk. it’s good to hear from you. and it’s good to be writing something that has a (sorta) positive spin to it. 🙂
cohabitation we both agree was too soon… that gonna stay with me
hopefully it’s not too close to heart. thanks for stopping by!
This just spoke to my middle aged heart about love long held and nurtured
i think it fits for a heart of any age having known a love that has started to sour… but it still hopefully speaks of hope. 🙂
Good thing is good.
Major props on the imagery.
thanks, wanderer.
“Shoo away the stale that creeps damp wise into us…” A good marriage takes constant stepping back, looking again, saying ‘does this look right?’ and pruning away when it doesn’t.
Great write!
From another Joanna (Jody) . 🙂
Thank you, Joanna! 😉
New and healthy growth, with a little help from the pruning shears … Lovely and truly thought provoking words above, makes me long so for lazy, hazy crazy, days of summer. xPenx
yes! i am soo ready for spring! 🙂 thanks, Pen!
This is gorgeous!
thanks, lady! 🙂
Loved the analogy -with life,love and the rest of it-enjoyed the rich texture of this piece:-)
Well done
“. i miss your
honeysuckle, the pulling
sweet drips of you
with my tongue. i long
for a good, hard
stretch of new growth,
a backwards of time,”