Tulip Fields

I am a Middle Eastern beauty,
a migrant of the sixteenth century,
a gauzy turban of petalled secrets.

Some prefer me dressed in scarlet,
sprung from droplets of blood,
a ruby flood of perfect love.

My yellow flower’s glow is cheerful,
the power of my white’s forgiveness,
while my purple robe is royal.

My orb-shaped bulbs rejoice in soil;
they have driven men to madness,
caused tulip mania and sadness;

and my centre’s like a lover’s heart,
deep and velvety dark with passion.
I have never been out of fashion

and, gathered in the rainbow ocean
of the tulip fields, I am not a simple
blossom, but the epitome of charm.

Kim M. Russell, 18th February 2020

Image result for tulip fields holland
Image found on 4kwallpapers.com

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: To Be a Flower, also linked to Poets and Storytellers United Writers’ Pantry

Linda welcomes us to Poetics this week with flowery drinks, a quote from Goldie Hawn, and poems from Emily Dickinson and Lisa Bellamy.

Linda says that she loves flowers and has a garden full of them – I’ve seen photos, and it’s gorgeous! She would like us to think about what flowers we most identify with, or our favourites, and write poems from their perspective. She has given us some questions to think about: How did the flower begin? What has it seen? How does it feel to be a flower? Where did it end? And a link to a website that list flowers from A-Z.

 

68 thoughts on “Tulip Fields”

  6. You’ve honored tulips with your poem. I love them in groups. Every year there is a giant tulip festival about 50 miles from here (Holland, MI) I enjoy the mystical charm you’ve woven for them and it’s wonderful to hear it read aloud.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Here in WA state, we too have a tulip festival. In full bloom the multi-colored acres of tulips dazzle the eye. Photographs cannot capture their brilliance.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. A phenomenal first stanza. I’ve not done much research into tulip mania, but it’s one of those interesting moments from history where ‘mania’ drives a country to the brink, and we look back on it as a warning, but we still dance with the same danger.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. Tulips are such elegant flowers and you do wonders to describe their perspective!💝 Especially love; “and my centre’s like a lover’s heart, deep and velvety dark with passion.” Woww!😍😍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  33. I can certainly appreciate a bloom that knows herself–the good and the devastating–a bloom that understands (and shares) her history. And I agree, “simple” is not a word that comes to mind when I think about tulips.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.