![](https://reflectionsontheteche.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/poetry-friday-2024.jpg?w=300)
This week I received my first poetry swap poem from Rose Cappelli. Rose sent a dreamy note tablet, a Mary Oliver poem, and a cascade poem about peonies. As Rose explained, in a cascade poem, each line from the first stanza repeats as the final line of each subsequent stanza. Rose does this seamlessly.
![](https://reflectionsontheteche.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/a-cascade-of-peonies.jpg?w=1024)
My mind has been on the flowers, prompted by Mary Oliver, Rose, and Maggie Smith. I subscribe to Maggie Smith’s Substack newsletter. This week she wrote about naming things.
“I love when I can accurately identify things when I see (or hear) them: a bird, a tree, a flower, a constellation, a kind of nest. (As the poet Pattiann Rogers once said in an interview, ‘naming is a form of honoring something.’)”
Maggie also writes about not knowing the name of something and how that can lead to wonder and discovery. I found a flower in my mother-in-law’s collection of pots that she nor I could identify. We could tell it was a type of hibiscus. I began by writing a list of metaphors. I am still playing with how to insert the not knowing, but wanted to share the small poem that I wrote in my notebook.
Hibiscus Moment
You are Love’s red lace,
blooming beet-red bow
on a woman’s flowing gown.You open only for a day
flirting like a spool of yarn
to a kitten, taunting usto feel unhinged with marvel.
So much bravery
in your fleeting face.
(Margaret Simon, draft)
![](https://reflectionsontheteche.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/swamp-hibiscus-rose-mallow.jpg?w=1006)
Margaret, that swamp hibiscus is beautiful, and that is only lasts one day is something special. You have shared such beautiful images about this fleeting flower. Perhaps my favorite (today, anyway) is: “taunting us / to feel unhinged with marvel.” Oh, I love “so much bravery” Wow!
I forgot to mention that sweet cascading peony poem. Rose did make that cascade poem process look seamless. I love the repetition of those first three lines. Marcie wrote a sweet peony haiku today too.
I love that you wrote “unhinged with marvel” for this bloom that is, so far, unnamed, Margaret. It reminded me of a smaller hollyhock bloom so I searched, & hollyhocks are members of the hibiscus family, so perhaps your guess is right? There is a lot to learn & then remember, isn’t there?
I forgot to write how beautiful Rose’s poem is, too, the form & her images, that “burst”! Have a nice weekend!
Just beautiful! I read that Maggie Smith prompt this week and printed it right away. I will be diving into that this week.
I’d love to see what you do with it.
Thank you, Margaret. I didn’t post this week (poison ivy in both eyes!), so I’m living vicariously through your post. Love that hibiscus “flirting like a spool of yarn to a kitten.”
I also have that Maggie Smith post flagged.
I’m amazed that you can read and comment. I can’t imagine the itch and pain! Take care of yourself.
Thank you. I’m doing better today. Prednisone helps a lot.
Rose, your cascade poem is exquisite, and it is an invitation to try the form, as well. I am so sorry to hear about the poison ivy! I hope you have a speedy and complete recovery!
Thanks!
Margaret, what a gorgeous and authentic “Hibiscus Moment”! My hibiscus is the only flowering (or allegedly flowering) plant we have in our condo, and the blooms (ours seems to be on a winter-bloom cycle, and I don’t argue with it—I’ll take whatever blooms I can get!) You have completely captured the exquisite and brief opening—”unhinged with marvel”: magnificent!
Gorgeous hibiscus poem Margaret, it’s “unhinged with marvel’! And it sure looks like a rose mallow flower to me, I have a couple– Thanks also for sharing Rose’s beautiful poem!
Thank you for sharing Rose’s poem, which perfectly captures the nature of peonies. And your draft is lovely. Hibiscus don’t generally survive New England winters, at least they never used to, so I have to admire yours. I love the line “flirting, like a spool of yarn/to a kitten” for obvious reasons!
I bring my hibiscus inside for winter. I’m not sure about this one. Because it lives in the swamp, it may come back after winter. More research. I want to plant one if I can find it at a nursery.
Yay for flower poems! Love’s red lace, well-tended by sun and rain. “Unhinged with marvel” is a phrase I hope I remember!
My parents have hibiscus bushes whose flowers look similar to yours except they are dinner plate-sized. I haven’t tried making tea with them yet, but maybe this summer.
P.S. Just saw Rose’s comment. Poison ivy in her eyes! Arg! 😦