These pansies made it through the frost last week because we protected them. With white freeze blankets, my husband and I covered as many flowers and plants as we could manage. Our yard looked as if it had been overrun by ghosts; it was worth it to save the beauties.
Today I contemplated these pansies, the star shapes inside, the concentric “circles,” the complimentary and harmonious colors, and the thin velvety feel to my fingers. Ultimately, what I wanted to say was in the Hopkins poem “Pied Beauty.” No point of saying anything else.
Pied Beauty
Glory be to God for dappled things –For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.All things counter, original, spare, strange;Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:Praise him.
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For more on “small stones,” you can read my first post on the subject. It’s all about this: find a moment in which to be mindful and record it.
As usual, Luanne, I love to read you blog! You cheer me up. We are expecting snow here tomorrow and my knockout roses are budding out. …….Jill
Thanks so much, Jill :). Oh no re your roses!! Can you cover them? Would that even work where you are?
I’ll bring them in. They are on the porch in pots. Have a great weekend!….Jillxo
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. I have always loved those little pansy faces, and yours are lovely. Hopkins had such wonderful eyes — close up and far away.
My favorite poem by one of my favorite poets! And thanks re the pansy faces. They are so precious.
Such a pretty flower, they are my favorite. They are calling for sleet and freezing rain here tonight and I am counting down the days until I have flowers to enjoy.
Oh, I’m so glad you love the pansies! Sleet and freezing rain is the worst weather, I think. Regular ole snow is so much prettier and nicer. You will have flowers before you know it and then you can truly appreciate them for being even more rare!
Pretty Luanne. Hugs~Sheri
Sheri, thanks so much! xo
Luanne,
When I first saw this post I immediately thought of my grandparents. My grandmother loved pansies. I can still see them framing the front yard of her old white farm house. “Pied Beauty” is gorgeous too.
Teresa, what a lovely image!! And it reminds me of how much I miss the lilacs behind my great grandfather’s “old white farm house.” Sigh.
Those pansies. That Hopkins poem. Thank you.
Ashley, I just found your lovely comment in my spam folder. You wrote a little poem, I think :).
That is perhaps my favourite poem. Except today I’m in love with Robert Burns “My love is like a red, red rose….” It seems fitting and in keeping with your floral contemplation.
It’s my favorite poem, too! It always seems apropos to me. That’s great that you have a daily favorite, too ;).
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