Wednesday, September 15, 2010

in their gardens

flowers
are so much like
the lingering kiss
of lips
that
touch
without touching


a formless space
inside and around which
the depths
of eternity
form


stories
from seed
to flower


of sun and rain
and wind
and little visitors


and the unconditional care
of the gardener
whose soft voice
and kind hands
nurtures
the astonishing beauty
that is a flower
into
the fullness
of its presence



a heartfelt thankyou to my mum (ruth) and my aunt (margaret) who in so many ways bring beauty and goodness into my life, these flowers being among the many gifts they share with the world.

21 comments:

ellen abbott said...

Lovely Steven. I recognize most of those flowers but what are the yellow and white ones in the top picture.

Noelle Clearwater said...

These are astonishingly beautiful photos of flowers. they are so well-framed in their own green leaves. A joy to behold and such a lovely meditation on them and the women who manifest them in your life. Thank you.
Noelle

Ruth said...

Steven, the flowers, your expression of love for your mum and aunt, and your description of the lingering kiss of lips that touch without touching are all so beautifully delicate that I feel touched without touching, and I want to leave the touch of my comment. Thank you.

Bee said...

What garden do these flowers come from, Steven? I can't help but wonder if it's an English one. My teenage daughter often scoffs at my love of flowers, but one day she will realize that they are one of the most dependable sources of beauty gifted to us!

(I've been attempting to leave a comment for days, but Blogger has been thwarting me! Hope this one takes . . .)

alaine@éclectique said...

Ooh, you're a romantic - 'lips that touch without touching'! Phew!

Love your header; the rock seems to be engraved with Roman numerals but it is merely a beautiful shadow.

Elisabeth said...

What would we do without flowers? Steven. I can't imagine.

Pauline said...

photos and words echo each other in this particularly beautiful piece

steven said...

elisabeth - really i don't know either. steven

steven said...

alaine - well yes that's me! surprising isn't it!!! thankyou for the thoughtful comment about the header! steven

steven said...

bee your comment stuck!!! hurray! these flowres are from canadian gardens tended by english ladies - my mum and my aunt. steven

steven said...

ruth thankyou so much for the touch of your comment. i hope that i can find the time and focus to become half as good a gardener as my my mum and my aunt. steven

steven said...

noelle thankyou and i am very glad that you enjoyed them. steven

steven said...

ellen one of the joys of being me is that i barely know anything about the names of things. i simply experince them. because of that i can't tell you. perhaps if my mum or my aunt visit here today they can leave me a note and i can fill you in!! steven

steven said...

pauline thankyou very much. i'm always in awe of gardeners who really know what they're doing, the names of the flowers, and then especially i am in awe of the plants. i mean, they're stunning!! steven

Golden West said...

It's so rare to see true blue in flowers - you've captured some stunning beauties!

Joanna said...

These photographs are so rich and beautiful Steven. You've captured the essence of these treasures with your words and images. As you know, I adore flowers and am developing a way of putting them into water colour paintings. Your words will help me towards that.

And your new header of the grass reflection stone is so evocative.

Tess Kincaid said...

I was going to chose a favorite of your flower shots, but I can't. They're all exquisite.

steven said...

golden west it was my lucky day!!! blue is likely my favourite of the flower colours but really - well they all are. steven

steven said...

joanna thankyou so much! the flowers did all the work really. steven

steven said...

willow thankyou very much - the beauty of these flowers carried the post!!! steven

Linda Sue said...

I should say! The beauty of these flowers might just get me over the summertime blues! They are so wonderful I do want to pluck them right off of the monitor and stick them in a jar...in my lapel and in my non existent hair-maybe a couple around my wrist...I know that you are supposed to leave them where they live...but if I did have summertime flowers like these it would be tough to not bring them in.Murder, because I am selfish that way...