POPPY
for my two teenagers
Crimson silkConfined
Inside an egg of celadon.
June warmth; June rain:
Both work to split the shell.
In an afternoon, life changes.
Fragile petals --wrinkled; new--
Unfurl
And reach toward sunshine.
Transparent, first,
Then rich with color.
A promise, straight and tall.
On the ground the faded husk
Turns brown and curls;
Old pieces cast aside.
But there, below,
The husk remains
In case it's ever needed.
Photos:icelandic poppy, unfolding, my neighbor's yard; Seattle, WA
icelandic poppies, my neighbor's yard; Seattle, WA
poppy, full bloom, my neighbor's yard; 6/07
5 comments:
fabulous! your words are beautiful and evoke much emotion in me.
based on the "dedication" i found myself connecting with the faded husk today.
poppies are my absolute favorites and i am sad that mine have already come and gone from my garden. my sister also wrote of poppies with teenagers in mind.
"tall, slim, beautiful bodies with no expectation of what time, sunlight, cold and rain will do to their features - their coifs, their straight and narrow spines. If they were told what to expect, they wouldn't believe it anyway. Let them preen in the sunlight and draw the applause - it would be too devastating if they were to see in advance how their being would dissipate into the earth."
Beautiful, Lucy--
And thanks for sharing your sister's words!
A truer reflection of the blossoming of independence I have never read. It is beautiful and tender.
hope you don't mind, but i've linked this poem in my post today :-)
Awesome. I love the imagery that your poem evokes, and the photo essay that accompanies it is absolutely perfect.
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