Lilac Longing

by Doris Kerns Quinn

Photo by Charlotte Coneybeer on Unsplash

There never was a time when lilacs lacked
The power to pull me from lethargic mood
And start me down the old nostalgic path
Through springtime’s lush and heavy-scented wood.

There never was a time when lilac scent
Couldn’t lift me to a legendary land
Transcending time and space with one soft breath
Of subtle perfume whispering romance.

There never was a time when lilacs looked
More heavenly than they appear this spring—
Pale starlets glistening and clustered full
Amid the leaves of dark, contrasting green.

Without the scent of lilacs, spring would be
Longing for lavender and mystery.

—published in Capper’s Weekly, April 1989