West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

WSR Poetry Corner: ‘Flowering Trees’

February 26, 2023 | 9:55 AM
in ART, OUTDOORS
5
“Branches and Cherry Blossoms,” by Mildred Alpern.

“Flowering Trees”
By Helena Maffei

Walking through Central Park
Together with my mother,
I notice the expectation in her eyes
As she stares at the trees,
Branches still barren from winter.

She is waiting for the pink trees.
For them to bloom,
For her to be able to gently grasp a branch,
Pull the delicate petals to her face
And smell spring.

The lilacs were my favorite as a child,
Because I liked purple
But also because she loved them,
And would pull the branches down
So I could smell them with her.

But the pink trees are the ones we notice now.
They are nature’s cotton candy,
Soft and sweet yet showy.
Posing like models clad in bark and petals
As I gladly take photos.

This year, I am home for spring.
No boarding school or college
To take me away from spring’s flowering trees.
We will see them together, Mom.
I swear it.

Helena Maffei is newly graduated from Adelphi University and has moved back to the UWS, where she has lived her entire life.

Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

5 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mildred Alpern
Mildred Alpern
2 years ago

Wonderful poem anticipating and sharing the onset of spring. Love the cherry blossom – nature’s cotton candy metaphor.

2
Reply
Elisabeth Jakab
Elisabeth Jakab
2 years ago

Lovely. thank you. I remember purple lilacs in the fields near where I grew up. and of course the cherry tres are glorious.

0
Reply
Gordon Subject
Gordon Subject
2 years ago

Thanks, lilac was my dear Mother’s favorite flower. Every time l see these flowers l am reminded of the day I will see my mother, Mary, again and present her with a bouquet of beautiful lilacs!!

1
Reply
Pat Weich
Pat Weich
2 years ago

I love the fact that you’ve interwoven the beauty of these trees and spring with the shared love of you and your mother. You’ve depicted it beautifully and these are the kind of memories that you never forget and carry you through a lifetime.

0
Reply
Linda Harger
Linda Harger
2 years ago

This was great! Was a wonderful description and created various memories for all who read it.

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

20-Year-Old Dies After Stabbing On Broadway; Two Teens Arrested
NEWS

Teen Struck by Lightning in Central Park Survives: NYPD

June 19, 2025 | 9:08 PM
Throwback Thursday: Memories of the UWS in the 1970s and 80s
ART

Throwback Thursday: Memories of the UWS in the 1970s and 80s

June 19, 2025 | 7:55 AM
Previous Post

Weekend History: In the 1930s This Man Fought Disinformation, Until Teachers College ‘Let Him Go’

Next Post

Message From First Lady of Ukraine Opens Met’s Concert Marking ‘A Year of Resistance’

this week's events image
Next Post
Message From First Lady of Ukraine Opens Met’s Concert Marking ‘A Year of Resistance’

Message From First Lady of Ukraine Opens Met's Concert Marking 'A Year of Resistance'

Monday Bulletin: Rupert Moving In, Yoko Moving Out

Monday Bulletin: Rupert Moving In, Yoko Moving Out

Dog Slips From Collar and Runs 34 Blocks in Traffic; Wait Till You See Where She Ends Up

Dog Slips From Collar and Runs 34 Blocks in Traffic; Wait Till You See Where She Ends Up

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.