In my part of the world, June hails the re-blossoming of the Crape Myrtle tree—that arboreal Queen of Summer with the one-hundred-day reign of blooming beauty.
Frothy bouquets in a variety of shades of white, pink, purple, and red decorate the branches of these graceful trees. As in many southern towns in the United States, our streets are lined with Crape Myrtles dancing in the warm breezes of the season. Bees are nearly drunk with joy as they float from flower to flower, gathering pillows of yellow pollen as they go.
In celebration of the year-round beauty of Crape Myrtles, I humbly present a poem in their honor.
Ode to Crape Myrtles
-Kathryn Louise Wood
Crinkly crinolines of Summer splendor,
they breathe in air and exhale flowers.
Autumn paints their leaves with flame,
while Winter bares their sculpted limbs.
Their delicate leaves of vernal Spring—
a prelude to their hundred-day reign.
Whether you bathe in the beauty of Crape Myrtles, or luxuriate in the luscious fragrance of more northern-growing Lilacs, take time to send a silent (or not-so-silent) word of gratitude to these annual gifts of Mother Nature.
Thanks for stopping by. Y’all come back, now!
Kate (the grateful)