Without Fantasies,
These i have loved:
The quiet dark anticipating dawn,
Unfolding in layers of whistles and songs of sky birds,
Dare of the tropical mockingbird that skips across my wall,
The shadows of banana leaves in upcoming light,
Without the fantasies,
They are just banana fronds dancing with the wind,
Radiant raindrops couching in cool flowers;
And flowers themselves, that sway through sunny hours,
Dreaming of moths that drink them under the moon
The stark white of plumerias against this background of clearing new day,
The coolness envelops my backyard,
Where a chair lay tumbled,
Maybe from a sprinting cat or maybe a strong gust,
Ah! day breaks:
The cloud palette is yellow, misty yellow.
All these have been my loves.
© gillena cox 2026
Note: The bold lines are from the second stanza of ‘The Great Lover’ by Rupert Brooke
