The Woman with an Umbrella

The woman with an Umbrella is the first documented poem by Miss M. or Raelynn-Joy Florentine, it is a story about a woman named May who goes on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. She meets a wrinkled florist and a baker who both show her kindness and trust, which leads her to understand the importance of taking risks and being kind to strangers. The birds in the poem act as a symbol of guidance, showing her the way and reminding her of the power of kindness.

## Full text

> In one autumn day,
>
>
> Wind blew, sun spewed, honeydew,
>
>
> A field of tulips, a little flower shop stall, rooted,
>
>
> Alongside with a passageway to the city of blue jays.
>
>
> Everyday a woman softly and elegantly passes through,
>
>
> She goes by the name May,
>
>
> Carrying a diluted golden umbrella,
>
>
> Her presence was always reputed.
>
>
> Never happen before, The light-footed woman approached a wrinkled florist,
>
>
> She greeted, “Morning, Miss,” in front of the stall,
>
>
> “These tall tulips of yours are pretty and all,
>
>
> But didn’t you bore a title of nobility in the city?” she recalled.
>
>
> The old lady replied, “Mistaken me,
>
>
> Miss May you must’ve been,
>
>
> These weak knees of mine always have been keeping these flowers keen.”
>
>
> The florist gave her a welcoming smile, it touched May’s face like the steam of a warm cup of morning tea.
>
>
> “Have we met before, then?” Continued to ask curious May,
>
>
> Replied the wrinkled woman, “We’ve met, one could say,”
>
>
> “But it is such a shame, we haven’t spoken before, such a shame.”
>
>
> Baffled, May was, “Then how come you know my name?”
>
>
> “Listen to the birds, love,” smiled the florist.
>
>
> “The birds?” Young May was again faced with confusion,
>
>
> “Oh! How late it’s getting, I must hurry on my way.” Rushed away, Miss May with passion,
>
>
> Running against the gust of wind with heels and her umbrella was quite a complication.
>
>
> Arrived at the city of blue jays,
>
>
> Young May entered the artist’s guild as usual,
>
>
> Greeted by her colleagues, but in a rush, the interaction was minimal.
>
>
> Her back rested against the spruce splat, staring at a blank, empty canvas, her mind remained delayed.
>
>
> Long moment passed,
>
>
> The framed fabric was still white, untenanted by the hands that would not illustrate.
>
>
> Inside the shell of her own body, she felt like an outcast,
>
>
> Lost, directionless, reaching a stalemate.
>
>
> She thought, and thought, and thought, but nothing came to her head.
>
>
> All of the sudden, a blue jay flew by as she spaced out through a lifeless windowpane,
>
>
> “A bird?” May asked, rushed outside with a delighted vein.
>
>
> Leaving her station, she decided to follow the bird instead.
>
>
> “Is it a blue jay?” She asked herself while catching up with the winged creature.
>
>
> It then landed on the sidewalk in front of the bakery.
>
>
> With the tiny black beak, it pecked the cobblestone cracks for the crumbed treasure.
>
>
> With curiosity, May closely observed the bird enjoying its hard work savory.
>
>
> “Young lady, would you like some of our freshly baked pastry?”
>
>
> “Oh! Sure!” May quickly responded as the delicious aroma already convinced her to buy.
>
>
> “What kind of bread would you like? We have flat, wheat, and rye.”
>
>
> “Ah um… Do you have something sweet? Like some pie with berries?”
>
>
> “Of course! We do! Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, you name it.”
>
>
> “Hm…. I gotta admit, I don’t even know which is my favorite.”
>
>
> “Why don’t you try some of our samples? So you’ll know which one you like the most.”
>
>
> “That’s alright, Mister. I just remembered I always like some blueberry jam on my toast.”
>
>
> “Excellent choice, Miss. Do you want me to wrap it as well?”
>
>
> “Sure. Oh! And how much is it–” May reached in her pocket to find out that her wallet was not there.
>
>
> “What is it, Miss? Are you alright?” The baker graveled.
>
>
> “My wallet, I must have left it at the guild. I’m so sorry I wasted your time, please take care.”
>
>
> “What are you sorry for? Here, take your pie, you can come back and pay.”
>
>
> “I shouldn’t, besides how can you trust me to come back here? We have never met before.”
>
>
> “That is only partially true, I see you entering the town everyday.
>
>
> Take the pie, I insist, don’t you need to worry no more.”
>
>
> The blue jay took off as May grabbed the wrapped package.
>
>
> After thanking the baker, she madly followed the bird through a narrow passage.
>
>
> The bird flew away, and May was left alone in the middle of a field of tulips.
>
>
> The sky started to rumble, and the wind blew harder.
>
>
> May looked for her umbrella, only to find out that she has forgotten it somewhere.
>
>
> She was about to give up, when she heard a familiar voice.
>
>
> “Miss May, I believe this is yours.”
>
>
> It was the wrinkled florist from the flower shop stall.
>
>
> The old lady handed her the umbrella, and May thanked her with a smile.
>
>
> "How did you know I am here?" May was confused.
>
>
> The florist smiled and said, "The birds told me. They always know where you are."
>
>
> May was amazed, and thanked the florist again before she left.
>
>
> The woman with an umbrella has found her way back home,
>
>
> Thanks to the birds and the wrinkled florist,
>
>
> She was reminded of the importance of kindness and trust,
>
>
> And that it is always worth it to take a risk.
>
>
> She finally understand why the baker trusted her to come back,
>
>
> And why the florist knew her name.
>
>
> The birds were always watching, and they were the ones who told them her story.
>
>
>
> The woman with an umbrella was grateful for the kindness of strangers, and she will never forget this journey.
>
>

## Interpretation

This poem is about a woman named May who is on a journey of self-discovery. She encounters a wrinkled florist in a field of tulips and is surprised to find out that the florist knows her name. The florist tells her to “listen to the birds” and May follows a blue jay to a bakery. There, she is offered a free pie by the baker, who trusts her to come back and pay for it later. May is amazed by the kindness of strangers and follows the blue jay back to the field of tulips, where she finds her forgotten umbrella with the help of the florist.

The poem is written in a narrative style, with each stanza building upon the previous one to create a story. The poem begins with a description of the autumn day and the field of tulips, setting the scene for the story. The poem then introduces May, who is carrying a golden umbrella and is known for her presence in the city. This establishes her character and sets up the conflict of the story: how does the florist know her name?

The poem then follows May as she visits the artist’s guild and is inspired by a blue jay to follow it to the bakery. Here, she is offered a free pie by the baker, who trusts her to come back and pay for it later. This act of kindness serves as a reminder of the importance of trust and kindness.

The poem then follows May as she follows the blue jay back to the field of tulips, where she finds her forgotten umbrella with the help of the florist. The florist reveals that it was the birds who told her May’s story, and this serves as a reminder of the power of observation and the importance of paying attention to the small details.

Overall, this poem is a story about self-discovery and the importance of kindness and trust. Through her journey, May is reminded of the power of observation and the importance of paying attention to the small details. The poem also serves as a reminder of the kindness of strangers and the power of trusting in others.