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A VirginalNo, no! Go from me. I have left her lately.
I will not spoil my sheath with lesser brightness,
For my surrounding air hath a new lightness;
Slight are her arms, yet they have bound me straitly
And left me cloaked as with a gauze of æther;
As with sweet leaves; as with subtle clearness.
Oh, I have picked up magic in her nearness
To sheathe me half in half the things that sheathe her.
No, no! Go from me. I have still the flavour,
Soft as spring wind that's come from birchen bowers.
Green come the shoots, aye April in the branches,
As winter's wound with her sleight hand she staunches,
Hath of the trees a likeness of the savour:
As white as their bark, so white this lady's hours.
Ezra Pound
*****
A patch of lily of the valley
grows by my front door.
The fragrance hangs in the warm air
and makes me smile as I walk past.
*****
This post is for Kathe,a dear blog friend
who loves lily of the valley.
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Oh Alice, I am stunned! I gasped at your magnificent photographs, reading all the while. I stopped with that burning feeling of tears behind my eyes when I saw, this post, so very lovely, is for me. I am honored. AND I have just come in from scraping a small bouquet of lily of the valley and peaked white lilacs for my night table. I know I repeat myself, but I carried white lilacs as a bride and my veil was attached to a crown of lily of the valley. My own bride daughter had lily of the valley tucked in her wedding bouquet too and I have picked a small bouquet for Elizabeth, my son's bride. Thank you for remembering me Alice, to be remembered, a lovely feeling. xo
ReplyDeleteThese are exquisite photographs. What a wonderful gift.
ReplyDeleteI shall be cutting some later... the heady, heady scent..........
ReplyDeleteThe best thing in our garden is a large patch of lily-of-the-valley but they aren't quite out yet. I love them - beautiful photos, Alice.
ReplyDeleteIt takes so little to touch a person so deep.
ReplyDeleteWe too have lily of the valley planted outside our front door but it would seem that our chickens are partial to it and have pecked it all away. Grrrr. Nice to see yours though! Thank you for the photo. x
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I've been over for a visit. Feel so good to be here and love it here. Lilly of the Bally are my favorite flowers. These pictures are just lovely. Glad to see you on twitter! It's exciting!
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