Bearing Arms…and Children

©1991 Susan Noyes Anderson

Image by Joel Holland on Unsplash

We set up housekeeping in an open mine field.
No tanks. No sweepers. No safety.
Daffodils looked harmless, but traveled
in armies. Hyacinths took prisoners.
Bluebells warned softly, wafted fragrant peril.
Sweet smells of danger.
Sweet sounds, too. Remember?
Landlocked sailors, lulled by sirens,
lured by lullabies, snared by soothing.

Who planted these bombs under blossoms? Sleep,
my child, and peace attend thee. Please.
Wildflowers and body parts. Sunshine
and sacrilege. Wave after wave of marigold
promises, yellow muletas fluttering welcome.
Beckoning, beguiling. Beautiful as babies.
Broken as trampled innocence.
Treacherous as the ground beneath our feet.
We sold our souls to the daffodils,
never thinking to step lightly.

If this poem resonated with you, you might also relate to If – for Parents of Teenagers.

Related Poems:

The Nabisco Kids Rise and Shine – Not! (for teens) Cathye, Mother and Child