Hydrangea Still-life
These Hydrangea on my table
sit in pale pink and blue clusters;
each four-petal flowerette its own song of compatibility.
They crush together like people crowded
on a rush-hour commuter bus.
Freckles of flower sediment
dust the chocolate table around the vase
like powdered sugar sprinkled on brownies.
The pale pink-to-green ribbon
gathers itself into a knot on one side
of the clear, glass vase
so you could imagine the ribbon holding the
bouquet suspended softly above the table.
Her coffee cup sits waiting
on its folded white napkin
making the scene a still-life.
Now, she returns
with pen and notebook
and sits in thoughtful repose as the
lamp illuminates her face,
completing the picture for the artist.
~ Annette Gagliardi
Now, I have given you a contemplative image, in order for you to be ready to think more deeply. 😀
Have you ever noticed how the Hydrangeas changes color? Mine were deep blue the first couple years they grew in my side yard. Then they started to come in pink. I was told to add the ash from the fireplace, which I did, and the result was a return to blue Hydrangeas. Yet they return to pink every chance they get, so I have to keep an eye on them if I want to keep them the blue color I prefer.
Have you ever noticed that some people change their minds after a time? Sometimes they get caught up in a new idea and talk about it with you for days and days, then eventually return to their old way of thinking. Other times a person has an awaking and are changed forever, never returning to their original opinion.
I have been reading and listening to many voices, many opinions about the pandemic, about racism and the unrest in our country. What all the opinions and exchange of information, viewpoints and actions has done is get me to think about what viewpoints other folks have that have been different from my own. It has given me pause to consider my own opinions and if I do, indeed need to be changing my mind on anything. Do I want to return to Pink or keep working for Blue (metaphorically speaking).
Like the Hydrangea, I am changing color a little – changing my mind about some things. Can we “shelter in place” and still have a full life? I have to say, “Yes.” Are we all racist at one point or another? Again, I might have to agree. The thing about debate, about reading and discussing and thinking about what other people say that is different, (in some cases opposed) to what we think, is that it expands our minds to a new idea.
I always repeated this quote to my students, especially if we were struggling with new ideas.
“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Does your opinion/values/beliefs depend only on what you are watching and reading? Does it include your experiences as well? Discussion is always enlightening, yet after a point, we all have to decide what we believe, what colors we will choose to reflect.
Maybe we are all like Hydrangeas – able to change our colors depending on what we are feeding upon. What color are you this week?