My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge #117 and dVerse Poets Pub Quadrille 11
As a token
Of the gardener’s growing love
He presented his sweetheart
With a single
Blushing pink hydrangea bloom
Her disappointment
Spilled into the room
Acid words dripped
From her petal lips
And the perfect globe
Underwent a sea change
And flooded with blue.
© Kim M. Russell, 2016
writing in north norfolk 
I love the fact that the natural pink can become blue… maybe having the transition in tears is so specific.. (though normally they are sold as blue and transforms to pink I think).
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It all depends on the pH of the soil but it is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil.
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Perhaps his diva’s disappointment also turned the poor gardener’s brown eyes blue. 🙂
You have woven a magical tale with your words!
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Thank you for reading, Cara, and for your kind comment.
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small poem.. so much thought, so much hidden, so much revealed!
i love hydrangeas!!
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🙂
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Lovely! The concept of turning pink hydrangeas to blue was used so well in your poem.
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Thank you for reading, Jade!
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Man, I kinda wanna slap her. 😉
I love this, especially:
“Acid words dripped
From her petal lips
And the perfect globe
Underwent a sea change”
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I’d love to slap her too, De!
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Great imagery. Not looking to slap anyone. There’s enough madness out there. But a good shake could suffice!
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😁
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Wonderful! Here in the US, we put eggshells and coffee grounds around the bases of some of the hydrangeas. My grandmother had some that were actually purple! Thank you coffee grounds and egg shells. wonderful poem, the changing from pink to blue. Excellent job.
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Thank you Toni. You are very kind.
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Such a great metaphor for what our moods can do to us.
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Thank you, Victoria.
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What an interesting story in 44 words. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Clever play of words and this somewhat reminds me of physics subject! 😀
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Thank you, Maria.
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I love this! Though I’d be happy with a blue hydrangea, I have to say. I can’t remember how it works – is it the same way as litmus paper, or the opposite?
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To encourage blue hydrangea flowers, you have to grow the plant in soil that has a pH of 5.2-5.5. If the soil is more alkaline, the pH can be lowered by applying Soil Acidifier or applying an acidic organic mulch. So it’s the opposite to litmus paper!
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Nice plays on words.
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