From “Revelation” in Oars in Silver Water and Other Poems by Hildegarde Fried Dreps:
The Regal Lilies in my antique bowl
Reveal a song,
I see them etched upon an ancient scroll
With leaf and prong.
A simple altar and a sculptured tomb
Display their grace…
I find them stitched upon an old heirloom
Of fragile lace,
They crown the Virgin, babe, and fireside shrine
With halos bright,
And in each human heart they are divine
Symbols of light.
And peace they bring into an aching breast
Sweet as the lilies are, so sweet the rest.
From “Study in Still Life” in Oars in Silver Water and Other Poems by Hildegarde Fried Dreps:
Regal lilies in a bowl
Whose fragrance feeds my soul,
Blend with two waxen candles
Tipped with gold.
And I compare
The ivory pages of an open book
That lay serenely there.
Close by,
A Buddha calmly sits
With desire in his mystic eyes,
He gazes at the waxen candles
Because no light flames
From their golden tips.
All this is light to me!
Born of earthly fire…
Hello!
This is the second of two posts with photographs of Regal Lilies (Lilium regale) from Oakland Cemetery’s gardens. The first post is Discovering Regal Lilies (1 of 2).
As you proceed through these photos, you may notice how I varied the lighting — from backlighting, to sunlight from above, to mostly shade, to bright sun with shady backgrounds, and finally to light filtered through nearby trees. Pause for a moment and consider how different kinds of lighting alter your perception of the flowers’ colors and shadows, but also how the texture of the flower petals looks different in each of these conditions.
Thanks for taking a look!
Stunning pictures !!
Thank you!