Paint me a rose garden
petal by petal
thorn by thorn
a microcosm of life.
A primrose kind of gal
petite with pastel temper,
wed to a brooding man,
morose and prickly by nature.
They live in a rosemål house,
flowers etched in love.
It’s quadrille Monday at dVerse Poets’ Pub with Bjorn tending bar. He asks us to write a quadrille (poem of 44 words) using the word rose (primrose, morose, rosemal). Photo is an example of the Norwegian art of rosemal.
lillian the home poet 
The rosemal is such a wonderful example of folk art… maybe it made the stern man less morose.
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I have two beautiful tiny sled Christmas ornaments, hand rosemaled by my dear friend’s mother…so beautiful! A truly wonderful Scandinavian folk art and yes….we hope these lovely paintings inside their home erases the mo from the morose! 🙂
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I specially admire how you describe the gal:
A primrose kind of gal
petite with pastel temper
Such a lovely work capturing that still life of flowers.
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Thank you, Grace. Kind words much appreciated! 🙂
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You have picked up the entrancing simplicity of the picture and reproduced it in poetry.
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Smiling I am 😊
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Oh so charming! Me thinks thou art married to a Viking?
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Oh thanks, Jilly. Chuckling I am! I am indeed married to a Swede 🙂
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They can be a brooding sort – both my husband and I are of that bent. He is 1/4 Norwegian. We try not to brood simultaneously!
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Living in a rosemal house – wonderful! And the primrose kind of gal – yes, I would say that. Hopefully your smiles will erase the mo and change it to rosy! Great poem.
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So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
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I do like your choice of words, and the way the theme runs through the poem. And I can see this couple. I think I might have met them at a party once…
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….smiling I am at your reply! So glad you enjoyed.
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Rosemal reminds me of the folk art we have here, painted on canal boats and their possessions. The rosemal os more refined, less gaudy though. It’s called Roses and Castles. A beautiful poem!
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-history/roses-and-castles-canal-folk-art
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oooh, thank you for the link! Very fun indeed. And so glad you enjoyed the poem.
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Ja, we Scandinavians have reason to brood — no Tabasco! Your poem nicely connected two realities and painted more than the roses.
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It’s that lutefisk and all that white sauce!!! No wonder they decorate their homes with rosemal 🙂 So glad you enjoyed! Tak sa mycket!
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Don’t forget the Lutheran manna. Campbells’ will do.
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This was beautiful – I love the idea of a rose as a microcosm.
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So glad you enjoyed 🙂
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Oooh–I know a couple like that! And he’s Scandinavian. For years I suffered through Lutefisk on Christmas eve until I finally told him “enough!” Now I get lobster tail. Poor me. And last year he finally followed suit. :0)
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George’s dad and grandfather used to serve lutefisk..ugh. I still make Swedish pancakes though — and yes, we put ligonberries over them. Also enjoy the potato sausage they make. Did you ever have homemade glug?
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Not that I know of. We were at Host Fest in Minot this last year…I saw a lot of stuff that could be described as glug.😄
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Brilliant how you incorporated all of those “roses” in your poem, Lillian. Rosemal is so very pretty…a quite feminine art form.
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Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
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Microcosm of life… so true, beauty and thorns together complementing each other.
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All that prickly beauty in a rose! 🙂
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Lovely little microcosm of life…your words are artistry!
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Thank you, Lynn. So glad you enjoyed! Nice to read your words here during my first morning cup! 🙂
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I admire all the forms of “rose” that you’ve woven into your quadrille so seamlessly. Favourite part is “A primrose kind of gal
petite with pastel temper”
Oh my, how cool is that!
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Always good to see your complimentary words, Mish. Truly appreciated! 🙂
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“Flowers etched in love…”~ Awwee I find this piece very sweet! Beautifully penned, Lillian. 🙂
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Smiling I am, Maria. Nice to see you this morning! 🙂
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Beautiful poetry, Lillian! 🙂
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So happy you enjoyed, Josslyn. This was a fun one to write! 🙂
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petite with pastel temper… lovely. If there must be temper let it be pastel!!!
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Smiling I am at your comment here😊
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I’m glad you included the artwork. I had no idea what “rosemal” meant, although I have seen that style of art before (now I have a name to put with it!). Clever usages of the prompt word!
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It’s a very traditional folkloric type of Scandinavian art work. Glad you enjoyed!
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Great words chosen, Lillian. And their execution is excellent!
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Oh, so appreciate your words Walter. Grandkids arriving soon for a few days. Will read more tonight after their bedtime 😊
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Well done. I do like how you worked in variations of rose, though I don’t know what a rosemål house is.
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Rosmal is a Scandinavian art form (like the image I’ve posted). Often folks do this art work on ceiling borders, wood work, window frames, decorative plates and candle stick holders. There are predominately red designs for Christmas – some favor the wedgewood blue background. Predominately floral designs.
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Cool! Thanks.
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A rose garden is a microcosm of life. Loved all the ways you used rose!
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Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
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Love love LOVE this:
“petite with pastel temper” 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed! Have had some lovely days with grandchildren’s visit. Up for a bit with some insomnia — shall be reading at dVerse in the morning. So late to these responses and my reading. But I shall get there!
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Me too! Love the ‘primrose kind of gal’ and the rosemål house, I also have a husband like that:brooding … morose and prickly by nature.
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Don’t you love the word “prickly?” Just sounds like that mood, right? 🙂
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🙂
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I liked the last two lines best, I wonder what a house like that would be like. Flowering all the time.
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I think this type of folkart is very very cheerful! 🙂 Perhaps those Scandinavians enjoy bringing the light into the house with this type of art.
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It’s a pretty art – as is your poem.
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Thank you, Rosemary! 🙂
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I’m a Swede myself. Of course, I never brood.
I leave that to my husband, the Danish Norwegian.
😉
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Oh chuckling I am, at your reply here. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my bit of folkart here!
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Lovely and I like the way you described people using “rose” words. Well done.
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I’m often in a rosey mood! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
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