Love Poem: Have I Ever Told You That
Rasitha Ranasinghe Avatar
Written by: Rasitha Ranasinghe

Have I Ever Told You That

Have I ever told you that …..
Scent of white gardenias rise
here, in my garden, the bush of gardenias
is in full bloom –

The roses and other blooming blossoms,
all dance in the cool breeze of early morning.
My garden is like a fresh maiden 
waiting to welcome her lover.
It is still dark outside.
I walk across the lawn, on wet grass;
I’ve never told him, that I talk to these little buds
musically and softly, each morning
and they nod their little stems, as I speak to them.
They listen to me -

 “You too look lovely, just like us” - they say;
Yeah, even graveyards have little gardens on their surfaces
smile I, uneasily;
underneath the charm smile,
hidden are the deep scars,
the bruises made by him
with words like stings.
I stop near the rose, touch its soft petals,
and the stem is full of thorns.
Do your thorns too, remind you of the rough times you had in the past?

I sigh to myself,
Have I ever told you that,
 if I too was spoken with a speck of kindness;
that I speak to you, dear Rose,
my face too, will be in full bloom 
just like my garden.

Contest 	:	Have I ever told you that ….. Poetry contest
Date		:	12 November 2020
Sponsored by	:	John Lawless

5th Place from the above contest