a poetic study in lavender
on livendulo
In the end, we all were flowers once rooted in fields of Lavender.
-migrainemuse-
From Theophrastus’s advice on reducing odour to Avicenna’s book on medicine, and to the scalded hand of Gattefosse; lavender is a wildly grown beloved which originated in the Mediterranean region. In the Bible, lavender is often hinted to be as spikenard or nard known after Naardus,a city in Syria. This blue-purple subtle and slim flower is called ostookhodos in Persian. It is used as herbal remedy for migraines, indigestion and skin issues.
Words.
Like the whorls of the lavender,
growing and budding into bursts of raisin,
heather and lilac hues.
Spread far and wide,
the embryonic lands of Persia, Spain and Morocco, plundered with coy into muslin satchels and wooden trunks locked by iron belts.
The ones with necks upright were sent to perfumery houses
and those dismembered,
thrown in into handmade reticules, embroidered by pompous ladies
of England and France
dragging silks in their parlour parties
seeking purple proposals from eligible bidders.
Seeds and buds like words reach far.
Love and heartbreak like aroma, unseen but felt.
Heat it, melt it, flavour a drop for the tongue.
Pick it,
vase it,
hang it upside down
and still life it in oil.
Lavender lusts linger in my room.
-migrainemuse-
Lavender's blue, Dilly diilly, Lavender's green, When I am king, Dilly dilly, You shall be queen.
Call up your men, Dilly dilly, Set them to work, Some to the plow, Dilly dilly, Some to the cart.
Some to make hay, Dilly dilly, Some to cut corn, While you and I, Dilly dilly, Keep ourselves warm.
Lavender's green, Dilly dilly, Lavender's blue, If you love me, Dilly dilly, I will love you.
Composed by Eliot Daniel and Larry Morey-1948
While writing this poetic essay, I recalled this nursery rhyme which used to be sung along with my friends at Mrs. Rose’s Kindergarten in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and performed for a recital. We all had to wear dresses in lilac purple hues….
I'll be having lavender dreams after reading this. Beautiful!
Oh, I like this Shaza. All of it. A beautiful creation.