She seeks the roses of a faded youth
and saves them deep inside her treasure chest
its wheels could play a madrigal of truth
but all she hears is sunshine when it’s best
Her eyes are diamonds in a faded sky
she’s barefoot hopscotching on wet concrete
and has forgotten all that’s when or why
she smells the orchards of a car’s back seat
Her tousled hair recalls the ponytail
with ribbons tied by mother’s forceful hands
she smells the honey in a bread’s gone stale
but she’s forgotten all her actress plans.
The shopping cart she’s pushing to her home
among the dumpsters she will find her tomb
Picture from wikimedia commons
Linked to Imaginary Garden with real toads, where Marian wants us to write about a person stuck in the past. Somehow this made sense to me… and I wanted to try my hands at a sonnet again. I also link this to Poetry Pantry
December 28, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
A thoughtful story … well penned you had me imagining her life….
ohhh, lovely sonnet! this speaks volumes to me. i really dig it. you make the form look easy (and i know it is not). love this melancholy piece. well done.
This is really good. You kept me guessing until the end as all the memories of a the past boost the morale of the subject, until we find out the ironic present she finds herself in.
Your sonnet form is perfect, with subtle rhymes that never take centre-stage.
Bjorn
*•. ¸*•.¸*•.¸*•. *•.¸ ¸.•*¸.•*¸.•*¸.•*¸.•*
*… *…*…*░ HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!░* * *…*…*
¸.•* ¸.•*¸.•* ¸.•*¸.•* *•.¸*•.¸*•.¸*•.¸*•
much love…
This is beautiful. And I don’t feel sorry for her beautiful, seemingly unrealized dreams nor the beauty of her shopping cart/tomb.
Thank You for Touching My Life with your Inspiration and Individuality. Your Posts Always bring a Smile to my Day.
Blessings and Joy~
elegantly grim, Bjorn ~
Very touching and unexpected ending. Simply beautiful.
Wow, this is dark and she keeps her rose in a treasure chest..
and I assume that is in her heart for that is where real treasures
reside..
“Her eyes are diamonds in a faded sky”……and then the ending where one realizes she is a street person. Wow!! Great write!
This is lovely Bjorn, so sad in many ways but truthful.
The ending really hits hard. Excellent. And a sonnet form as well!
What a sad ending but a lovely sonnet Bjorn ~ A gem to read ~ Happy New Year to you ~
A painful reality for far too many. Written with the darkness this subjet spills.
A very sad progression in this poem, Bjorn. Eventually most everyone must forget the actress plans….sigh
Great but sadly realistic contemporary sonnet! Happy New Year to you, Björn!
You made her sound so real … we feel empathy & compassion for this person … like a scene from a film. Well done on the form, too. Happy New Year, Bjorn 🙂
…so liked the progress here from pig tails to shopping cart… sad a life can be expressed in just a few lines… but cool you captured it
A great sonnet Bjorn! A tinge of sadness at the end though! Happy New year to you!
Hank
Wonderful capture of fading youth and the sad ending for many. Happy New Year!
The sadness of it is heart-touching. Thoughtful and tenderly penned. I liked the image of eyes as diamonds in a faded sky.
You made her (and her memories of her blossoming youth) come to life. This was heartfelt and so very touching.
It’s a very sad poem. I guess there are many women like her, who go out to the big bad to make a fortune but end up in penury. She’s a very strongly sketched out character. Great poem.
I love it when things go bad. The first stanzas so flowery and sensual, then boom “forceful hands” and then a tomb. Always nice when a poem takes to an unexpected place–even a tomb.
Have a blessed and happy 2014
yes the couplet with a twist….beautifully written….a happy new year to you
Lovely, I could visualise her ponytail and hopscotching. Took me back to my young days. Thanks for visiting my blog.
This is very different from all I’ve read by you. This is a touching and very gentle story, too.
A sombre work, well constructed.
You write so well you conjure up feelings of sadness for this poor lady. I’m looking forward to reading more of your works.
Oh goodness that’s sad. Brilliantly written.
Ciao
Pea
roses to dumpsters – carefree childhood to dying adult – “the heart is a lonely hunter”
nice…i like the use of madrigal….the last two lines really laser this in….
i think save in the second line should be saves….
Oops… I found the errors sometimes but this is missed.
You gave this faded rose meaning, Bjorn…a modern tragic sonnet, well writ.
Very, very thoughtful. I have an actor friend who to put it simple is very broke. Good looking, talented, fifty something, there is so much courage in living a dream and never getting there. You touched a chord there.
You’ve created such a story and character in so few…poignant and effective writing. Much enjoyed, Bjorn.
You always succeed in finding art and words that mesh perfectly.
This is amazing.