Friday, October 19, 2007

Friday Flowers: Fall Crocus

autumn crocus, naked lady, meadow saffron

This lovely fall surprise blooms
after the plant's leaves have withered away.

Its spring-like beauty is in contrast to the
autumn reds, oranges and golds of our trees and shrubs.
We all have met people who still bloom
like a fresh spring flower as they get older.
This poem by Robert Browning inspired
a song with a similar title by John Lennon.
And the fall crocus illustrates both poems beautifully.

Grow Old along with Me

Robert Browning

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half;
trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"


Grow Old With Me

John Lennon

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one
God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love


Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end

Grow old along with me
Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

13 comments:

  1. Touching words and such happy flowers!

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  2. How stunning Ruth! Have a beautiful day.

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  3. I love the color of those flowers! What a treat for my dreary morning.

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  4. Never heard of them, but I like the picture.

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  5. Thanks, Jean, Jayne, Ruthie and AC. I don't see flowers these very often, but they are a cheerful sight. These were growing in the yard of an Old Order Mennonite farmhouse. I pass through this farm on a trail I walk often.

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  6. Ruth, you really know how to put a meaningful post together. I admire you.

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  7. No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace
    As I have seen in one autumnal face.
    - John Donne

    As a gerontological nurse and a lover of fall, that's just about my all time favourite quote.

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  8. Don't know if those poems were for us but we'll take them as a gift and know they are true after 54 1/2 years together.
    Thanks Mexico Mom

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  9. Beautiful flowers!-I am a fan of Lennon's music.-It looks like he borrowed a bit in this case.

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  10. Anonymous8:33 am GMT-4

    Oh my gosh... I feel like an idiot... Of course there must be a different species of crocus that bloom in fall... All this time, I've been thinking that the weather had fooled the spring ones into re-blooming.

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  11. Mary- thanks for your kinds words.

    K&M- What a beautiful quote! Working in gerontology does change your perspective, doesn't it!

    Mom- Are you getting old? No!

    Larry- Well, Lennon wrote the tune, even if he borrowed the lyrics. He did acknowledge it though.

    Jennifer- I won't tell. I am sure most people don't know what they are.

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  12. Hi Ruth - very inspiring poems, or at least one poem and one song. I loved them along with your beautiful crocus blooms. I didn't realize there was a fall-blooming species.

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  13. Mary C- I thought the poems were thought provoking. Fall crocuses are not commonly planted from what I have seen. I have only seen them twice.

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