Naked Lady Belladonna
Naked Lady Belladonna
Belladonna the naked lady
Does stand there in all her glory.
She so prefers to be shady,
But few know her real story.
Belladonna, a lady of beauty,
Is flirting like a playful nymph,
Timid and shy, so few can see
You are strong in spine, never limp.
Will you come out to show your face,
To all who walk by seeking you?
They try so hard to find the place
Where you dwell, are you bashful, too?
You wear a simple gown of pink,
So becoming, very feminine.
No other adornment to link
Or invite anyone to come in.
When I was young and newly married the backyard was my place to relax. I loved to garden and tend my flowers. We were in our new home for just a few months when I noticed a new bulb coming up in the garden. It was our first spring there and I was anxious to see if all the bulbs I has planted in the fall would come up. Some were sprouting their leaves already and I was thrilled.
I had crocus, daffodils, tulips and irises. Over in a shady corner, under a pine tree, hiding behind a low ground cover was a strange looking plan sprouting. It had no leaves, just a pinkish stem. Every day I would go look at it. It was growing quite fast, about an inch or two a day. It had a few funny looking buds at the top. Regardless of how high it grew there were no leaves, just a thick strong stem.
When it was about a foot tall the buds were quite big and finally opened. It was a trumpet shaped flower in a
beautiful shade of pink. I had no idea what it was, so I drove to my local nursery and described the flower to the nurseryman. He told me it was a species of amaryllis, called Naked Lady Belladonna . Naked because it would never grow any leaves, just flowers on the top of each stem. I had only one Naked lady and went back to the nursery in the fall to buy more bulbs.
In the spring I would invite visitors to come see the naked ladies in my backyard. Intrigued, they would follow me to my secret garden and admire the lovely pink flowers.
~ ~ ~
© 2016 Phyllis Doyle Burns
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As you know I am a photographer as well, and I am a very happy person in a flower garden with my camera in hand. Loved this, and written nicely.
I like your photography, Kurt. Flower gardens are a wonderful place for cameras. Glad liked my little poem. Thank you so much.
They are a wonderful flower and we have them here too. I have always admired them. A wonderful tribute to an unusual but very beautiful bloom. Nicely penned Phyllis.
I love the Belladonna flower. So glad you like the poem. Thank you Tony.