Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Denise at Dare to Care for Roundup.
This week's ArtSpeak: WOMEN features a peonies from Berthe Morisot. Many of us love peonies, and with good reason. They're so fluffy and fragile and fleeting...a garden "must," if you ask me!
In the language of flowers, pink peonies (like Morisot's) are said to represent bashfulness (b/c of the myth of a nymph hiding inside the flower). Read more here!
Perhaps you know Mary Oliver's gorgeous "Peony" poem? It starts with "green fists" and ends with the speaker of the poem hurrying "half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden" toward (fleeting) wildness. Love!
Also, in my research for the poem, I discovered there's a book called Peony by Pearl S. Buck. I just ordered it from my library. Hooray!
O, Peony
I think you
may be a lost cloud
come to mist
bliss on me.
- Irene Latham
Quick process note: In the first draft of my poem, the peony had come to "rain / happiness." Those words felt too expected, so I tunneled around the thesaurus until I found "mist / bliss." Not only do these words sort of rhyme, but they also better suit the fluffiness of a peony!
Oh, wow. "rain / happiness" to "mist / bliss" is a master lesson in using the thesaurus, Irene. You are so right a hundred times. I love that. And I love all the peony love and lore you share. What a great post. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnd bliss feels like it should be mist-ed -- a light sprinkling to wear as we greet the day :)
ReplyDeleteIrene, this is so lovely! Thank you for sharing your revision, as the poem, the "mist/bliss" is especially gorgeous! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThe "mist/bliss" is true; they often have what seem like dewdrops hanging on them! This is wonderful, Irene!
ReplyDeletemist/bliss sounds cooling...and perfect for August. Also, bliss is also almost blessed. All good thesaurus work and worth the time to look at different words.
ReplyDeleteYes, peonies definitely make spring spring. But we wait with equal anticipation for the opening of the hibiscus blooms in mid-summer! Our red "radio-receiver" has flared and gone silent, but the white one, tucked in the half-day shade of the black eyed susans, has just blessed our mornings with it's glory! (I think it was waiting for the sun to shine again!!)
ReplyDelete"mist/bliss" are the perfect words, Irene. They jumped out at me even before I read how you arrived at them. I often write about peonies in the spring - they are so lovely. Thank you.
ReplyDelete"Mist/bliss" are just perfect here. I also noticed the combo before reading about how you revised to find them. Thanks for sharing that process and also the link to Mary Oliver's poem. Peonies are so lovely in and of themselves, but are also clearly a magnificent inspiration.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I love "come to mist/bliss on me." Perfection!
ReplyDelete