Sunday, July 17, 2011

Balsam Blooming

The balsam has begun blooming in its bed in my yard. It started with the palest of pink blooms, and now a Pepto-Bismal peppermint pink has also opened. Hot pink is next, still tightly curled in its buds, but soon to unfurl.

This is a flower from Victorian gardens, from Emily Dickinson's garden. It is sensitive of seed pod, known as touch-me-not in some circles because the seeds will explode from the pod if touched. It is generous of frilly bloom. Its edges are like the ruffles on some lingerie sold in Victoria's Secret catalogs.

You will want to read or listen to Billy Collins's poem "Taking Off Emily Dickinson's Clothes," perhaps, on this Sunday morning. If so, here it is at the Writer's Almanac.

To get the book it's in, you can go here, or find it also in Picnic, Lightning. To purchase the lingerie, go here. I don't know about those shoes. They scare me.

8 comments:

Sandy Longhorn said...

Oh, Kathleen. First hedgehogs and now frilly flowers & frilly lingerie. I can't imagine what your stats are going to look like today!!!

Kathleen said...

I have fun in life. It counters the frustration of headers, footers, page numbering, and so forth...

Nancy Devine said...

consider a post about a hedgehog in frilly lingerie...or would that be going too far?

Kathleen said...

Sounds hilarious. Possibly next Slattern Day!

SarahJane said...

I love hedgehogs, mostly because of the Grimm Bros. story "Hans, my Hedgehog." Victoria's Secret and that particular B. Collins poem I like less.

Kathleen said...

Yes, the poem about the catalog is not a favorite of mine, but I do like the Emily one. I will seek out the Grimm hedgehog!

Cathy said...

I'm afraid my moratorium on poems with "Emily Dickinson" in the title still stands. Not even by Billy Collins gets a bye.

Kathleen said...

That's OK by me, Cathy.