On Finding a Peony in the Woods

I found a peony in the woods,

Remnant of a lost Eden

A foreigner rooted where it could not bloom,

without a word to speak in its defense.

How long it must have waited for recognition,

the gardener gone for fifty years,

long before the wood grew around it.

*

Carefully unearthing the plant,

bringing soil and the root system intact,

I carried it into the light,

transplanted from where it stood,

to a place where all would see

the bloom I envisioned.

Whatever its size or color,

it would be exquisite and fragrant.

*

I waited impatiently through the months

Until in spring, the reddish stalks began to rise.

Rounded buds burst forth in celebration,

silken petals, perfumed air,

voluptuous party dress,

immaculate pink skirt,

cornsilk yellow confetti heart

above the deep green leaves.

A stranger, become a friend,

giving thanks in my honored garden.

***************

The final micro-season of spring botan hana saku (牡丹華)- Peonies Bloom -in the traditional Japanese seventy-two season lunisolar calendar takes place from April 30–May 4. In the Japanese “Language of Flowers,” peonies represent bravery, strength, and honor. They are also often a part of wedding ceremonies representing good fortune and prosperity.

The photo is of the peony I found in our woods one autumn and moved to my garden. Volunteers and immigrants number heavily among my friends. This poem was originally published on Medium in Scribe by Thomas Gaudex, editor.

Natalie