Geraniums in the Studio

Geraniums in the studio—
so much red, so much hope.
You said to send you some faith.

Geraniums in the studio:
art albums, quilts, old photographs,
the canvas spread on the wall.

The smell of paint, the ritual
of a hundred brushes,
the sunlight kissing Pikes Peak.

Prayer and the sound of a mandolin,
the echo of dance. Energy,                                                                                                    
arduous audacity,

luminous arching of daring. 
Song, rhythm, fabric.
An old dog lies down

on the burned-orange carpet.
Calm and quiet.
Geraniums in the studio:

a guest brings a gift of grapes,
tells a story of serenity,
opens an envelope with good news,

a card made out of a picture
of a prescient painting,
a dream with geraniums.

Lucia Cherciu is the author of six books of poetry, including Immigrant Prodigal Daughter (Kelsay Books, June 2023) and Train Ride to Bucharest (Sheep Meadow Press, 2017), which was the winner of the Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Her work was nominated multiple times for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Her poems appeared in Poetry, Antioch Review, and elsewhere. She served as the 2021-2022 Dutchess County Poet Laureate and teaches at SUNY / Dutchess. Her web page is http://luciacherciu.webs.com.