FLAMBOYÁN TREE IN JULY

From Rosa’s Island Home, The Dominican Republic

A Poem by Rosa Lía Gilbert

A neighborhood flamboyán

bursts in blooms dipped in crimson

during the summer months.

For it is this, the sun’s beloved season.

The time of year she dances

while the skirt of her radiant dress

shines light on all it touches.

Just to waltz past its hem

and the world comes alive.

This celestial body

hung in the heavens by God,

decreed ruler over the day,

now extends her arms,

hands, fingers of glistening rays

to stroke the flowers on this equatorial tree.

She sets petals ablaze––

golden orange and fiery red.

And the burning evergreen

blossoms, beaming with

beauty, for souls

roaming this terrestrial globe

on weary feet need

a beacon of hope during

spells of scorching heat.

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Rosa Gilbert is a stay-at-home mom and publishing assistant at Calla Press Publishing LLC. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Spanish is her first language. However, it was through learning English at a young age that she fell in love with words and poetry. She hopes to make a difference in publishing by helping faith-based writers bring their stories to life. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Liberty University and has worked as a freelance editor for Dr. Steven J. Lawson’s OnePassion Ministries. Her poems have been published at The Way Back to Ourselves, Calla Press, and forthcoming in the Twenty Hills Publishing Nature Anthology. She lives in suburban Ohio alongside her husband and daughter. You can find her writing at https://rosagilbert.substack.com/ and @rosagilbertpoetry.