FLOWERS OF SUMMER

YESTERDAY, (OR IS IT TODAY?) WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER, THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR. I GUESS WE CAN SAY, FROM NOW ON, IT IS ALL DOWN HILL. I TOOK THIS PICTURE THIS MORNING IN OUR BACKYARD GARDEN, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MORE COULD BE SAID ABOUT THE DELIGHT OF SUMMER EXCEPT PERHAPS THIS POEM BY ROBERT LEWIS STEVENSON CALLED:

THE FLOWERS

ALL THE NAMES I KNOW FROM NURSE

GARDENER'S GARTERS, SHEPHERD'S PURSE,

BACHELOR'S BUTTONS, LADY'S SMOCK,

AND THE LADY HOLLYHOCK

FAIRY PLACES, FAIRY THINGS,

FAIRY WOODS WHERE THE WILD BEE WINGS,

TINY TREES FOR TINY DAMES----

THESE MUST ALL BE FAIRY NAMES!

TINY WOODS BELOW THOSE BOUGHS

SHADY FAIRIES WEAVE A HOUSE;

TINY TREE-TOPS, ROSE OR THYME,

WHERE THE BRAVER FAIRIES CLIMB!

FAIR ARE GROWN-UP PEOPLE'S TREES,

BUT THE FAIREST WOODS ARE THESE;

WHERE IF I WERE NOT SO TALL,

I SHOULD LIVE FOR GOOD AND ALL.

AH, YES....WERE I NOT SO TALL, AND WERE THERE NOT SNAKES IN THE GARDEN, I TOO WOULD ENJOY LIVING AMONG THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS OF SUMMER!

* CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE FLOWER DETAIL