Cornhusk Bouquet
No less real than those that grow
from soil and water and sunlight’s glow,
these are the flowers the women made.
They are less fragile––more slowly fade.
Fashioned from the husks of corn––
Their food’s protector, now reborn
by women’s hands–graceful and able,
into beauty to grace the table.
Their petals strong as the hands that twist
husks soaked in water lest they resist
the efforts of creators who
have dyed them yellow, red and blue.
Green for leaves and sepals formed
from nature trimmed and soaked and warmed
by the knees they shape them over––
hyacinth, roses and clover.
The breath of life stirs leaves and thrums
sunflowers, lilies and mums.
The gentle waving of petals hung
over paper scraps, bottles and dung
of a courtyard made from life and duty
and therefore not reserved for beauty.
Squalor from which beauty comes.
See how their bougainvillea hums?
Thunbergia’s petals and fragile pod
are lovely as if made by god.
Carried to market where they sell
to tourists who will love them well.
Crowded in vases, baskets or
in jardiniers on the sala floor.
These flowers will not tell the tale
of scissors and the soaking pail.
They stand completed, sure and tall
in a copper bucket in my hall.
As I pass, my garment’s hem
gently brushes over them
and stirs the powdery summer dust
that covers them in a fragile crust,
releasing a subtle bouquet
of corn and soil and the light of day.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Wow! Absolutely stunning!
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I know. I love these flowers and have them in every room of my house. If you lived near, I’d bring you a bouquet of them.
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🙂
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I mean both the flowers and the words so evocative.
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It’s a poem that flows like music. And the flowers are lovely, too.
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Thanks, M. It wasn’t a very evocative prompt. I mean, what new can be said about flowers? Then my eye fell on the cornhusk bouquet and the first line whispered itself into my ear. After the first line, if it is right, others always follow.
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Lovely images and a lovely poem.
I wonder if my rebellious blog will let me post this comment…
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Love how you explain your process in the post above (at least, it’s above as I’m writing this!). This poem—well, to begin with I adore the cornhusk flowers, and that last stanza in particular is just beautiful.
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Thanks, Linda. I appreciate both your reading my blog and commenting. xox
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Wonderful poem, I loved and enjoyed the rhymes and the rhyming scheme. I absolutely adore this part:”Thunbergia’s petals and fragile pod
are lovely as if made by god.
Carried to market where they sell
to tourists who will love them well.
Crowded in vases, baskets or
in jardiniers on the sala floor.
These flowers will not tell the tale
of scissors and the soaking pail.”. I really appreciate that we as humanity strive to mimic beauty and Nature’s art without inspiring hurt.
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Thanks so much, Oloriel. I love when people quote me back to me!!! Is that narcissism?
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Hah, I would not call it so! I would call it ‘Deliberate enjoyance in beauty, when the World wants it otherwise’ 😀
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