742. As for marigolds, poppies, hollyhocks, and valorous sunflowers, we shall never have a garden without them… ~Henry Ward Beecher

by

47

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That we find a crystal or a poppy beautiful
means that we are less alone, that we are
more deeply inserted into existence
than the course of a single life
would lead us to believe.
~John Berger, English Painter

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POPPIES
by Mary Oliver
The poppies send up their
orange flares; swaying
in the wind, their congregations
are a levitation

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of bright dust, of thin
and lacy leaves.
There isn’t a place
in this world that doesn’t

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sooner or later drown
in the indigos of darkness,
but now, for a while,
the roughage

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shines like a miracle
as it floats above everything
with its yellow hair.
Of course nothing stops the cold,

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black, curved blade
from hooking forward—
of course
loss is the great lesson.

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But I also say this: that light
is an invitation
to happiness,
and that happiness,

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when it’s done right,
is a kind of holiness,
palpable and redemptive.
Inside the bright fields,

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touched by their rough and spongy gold,
I am washed and washed
in the river
of earthly delight—

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and what are you going to do—
what can you do
about it—
deep, blue night?

~ from New and Selected Poems, Vol. I (Beacon Press, 1993)

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Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4   ✝

**These are all poppies grown in my yard from seed I sowed last fall, and as Beecher said, I shall never have a garden without them because they wash me in a river of earthly delight as Oliver puts it.

47 thoughts on “742. As for marigolds, poppies, hollyhocks, and valorous sunflowers, we shall never have a garden without them… ~Henry Ward Beecher”

  9. These poppies are so vivid they make me want to continually stare at them. They almost kept me from reading the beautiful lines.

    I have this little spot that gets some sun, but not all day. I wonder if they will grow there? 🙂

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful post!

    Hugs and Blessings,

    Theresa

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks, Theresa. Mine got a good amount of sun some days but not all day. For them to do well here, they have to be sown in the fall so their roots get big enough to support their blooms. See what it says about that for your area. I know you would love them. They are annuals, but they easily reseed themselves. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thank you so much, Patty, for thinking me worthy of this award, however, my site is an award free site. What I put on it is to honor the Lord and all that He does so it’s not about me, but always about HIM! You are very kind to have thought of me for the award though. I’m so glad you enjoy you daily posts and that they brighten your day. This is my intent. Love and hugs, N 🙂 ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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