From “The Essence of a Garden” in Ambiguous Dancers of Fame: Collected Poems 1945-1985 by James Erwin Schevill:
Between form and force of color to find
the illuminating place of order
where fruit trees soar no longer bare
and brandish oranges, figs, mangos
above Birds of Paradise sailing in place,
orange flower-ships of natural grace,
gladiolas pointing bluntly through green blades
above red zinnias buttoning up their patch…
until luscious fruits and flowers are too much
and the fertile garden shrivels, picked, dead,
dazed in silent time of sun and stone,
waiting dumbly for the sacred time of rain
when nature and man kindle care
into color-bursts again, and rejoicing air
crystallizes with bright, dying revelations
to teach our eyes wonder, art of glory.
Hello!
This is the third of three posts with photos of zinnias from Oakland Cemetery’s gardens, taken in late October and early November. The first post is A Collection of Zinnias (1 of 3) and the second post is A Collection of Zinnias (2 of 3).
We have only red ones here (though you might see some soft swatches of orange or pink) so I found a poem about red zinnias and posted it up-top.
Thanks for taking a look!
