Days of the Irises

It's definitely the days of the irises. They are everywhere, bringing their big, lustrous beauty to even the most unassuming of yards in my neighbourhood here in Verdun. At the botanical garden, they bring a taste of royal pagentry. On this visit I stayed mainly in the Flowery Brook area where there is an exceptional selection of different iris varieties.

Although the name "iris" comes from the Latin word for "rainbow," for me the flower has a bit of a military symbolism because of the sharp pointed leaves. But maybe I'm thinking of this for other reasons.

from head to toe
in green camouflage
the miliary man
I glimpsed this morning
on the way to the garden

Mongolian Iris

I wonder

is that soldier
bound
for Afghanistan?

white-tipped

like the Himalayas

King's Spear--
wherever I go

that soldier's on my mind

Here is a photo of irises with the flower called King's Spear in the foreground.

I also remarked on the juxtaposition of another plant and irises:

meadow rue

beside purple irises--

with love

there's always the need

for caution

I admired this iris variety:

ghosts of Hamlet

and poor flower-mad

Ophelia--
yellow bearded irises

called Elsinore

From Ophelia to the Madonna:

Moonlight Madonna

bearded iris--

another tribute

to the virgin mother,

the crucified woman

The term "bearded" refers to the line of soft hairs on the middle of an iris's three drooping petals.

the velvety fur
of the iris's
three outer petals--

who isn't taken in

by softness

*

it's not so much

the irises

that are beautiful

as the morning light

they're bathed in

the earth is finished

says my science-minded friend

in despair--

take my hand, I tell him,

we'll be fireflies at dusk

*

Of course, the other great symbol that irises evoke are of brushes dipped in deep blue ink.

*

iris buds

dipped in blue ink--

I'll paint

an unspoken love poem

on his chest as he sleeps

*

*

How splendid these days of the irises.