Sunday, May 24, 2015

NEAR THE SPRING GROWS THE BLACK IRIS! Painting & Poem


BLACK

"...there is a range of flowers, foliage and fruit that are thought of as black, ....  Included in these is Iris tuberose, the widow iris, with its brownish, blue-black flowers.....  There are others, of course, which make striking features in the garden, but none of them require the use of black pigment as each will show, on closer inspection, to be a mix of very dark pigments....."


Excerpt taken from Chapter 8 - BLACK - Page 110

The Botanical Palette

The Society of Botanical Artists

by Margaret Stevens PSBA


BLACK IRIS

Near the spring grows the black Iris.

Enclosed around

the widow ground.

The mellow soil when all alone

In fields of sorrow's bliss.

 
Not empty of life,

nor budding miss.

Alone in self, yes,

 solitude that hides.

Away from close display.

 
Nor cares where others pace

and set.

The willows cover and breeze submit.

The Iris cares for only this:

Dew from Heaven.

The Beloved's Kiss!

 
Longing now in shadows blue,

the Iris Widow in soil with dew.

Not like other buds.

Nor, like other loves.

It stays rooted near the crystal spring.

Tis there with musk of passion,

and, fertile feed.

It waits for Heaven.

It plants its seed.

 
None notice the hidden hand that writes

of coves of wonder,

and, Glory Light.

The Iris Widow

out of sight.

 
Breathing splendor in speckles fall,

the reeds of Spirit

to one and all.

A bird, a gnat,

a flower now.

 
Black Iris takes

its final bow.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
NEAR THE SPRING GROWNS THE BLACK IRIS!
 



 
CLOSE UP
 
Painting and Poem ©Rita Burton
 

No comments:

Post a Comment