June 2009 was its last borrower. The book, illustrated, instructive, bringing to Western eyes a floral artistry, exalted on Japanese altars, aeons ago. Protected in plastic and withdrawn from Dewey’s coded placement amongst the ‘Decorative Arts’; the outdated stamp giving it the aura of a cellophaned bouquet left at a memorial. But now this preowned tome makes one rung on my ladder of hardbacks, piled close to hand on the small side table, Slipping between Fletcher's edition of paintings dipped in the poetry of Hughes, and Calder, balancing the art of sculpture. "Ikebana" encompasses both, simply  by bringing flowers to life in a minimalist theatre of poised, colour arrangements. And for such, we must handpick leaf and sheath, pine stem. petiole and plum petal, releasing them to intersect the circle of perfection drawn in space. Posed by invisible fingers, fastened with formality, straight to the upright abode of deities. Cuts, angled  and precise, press into a sword mountain base, nestling amongst shallows. From a symbolic rock tumbles a cascade, and to the left, the merest hint of curvature, breaching the horizontal so that like a humming bird, the eye never settles, never completely withdraws.

There is a tinted hint of  Autumn in these mornings now and the page has opened on a basket of anemones and foliage burnished by briefer days. All so splendidly rendered that my unskilled replication could only ever be the poorest form of flattery. Perhaps I'll close the book for another day, and another day, until it will lie in the dust of perpetuity, with all those things I planned to do before there is no time left to do them.

34 thoughts on “The Way of Flowers”

1. You really brought the book alive for me, Laura, and it was refreshing to read words about images of flowers. And it was a library book. I used to spend a lot of time in the library and loved the range of books to choose from. However, I also need to read and re-read the books in my own personal library, as well as the ones on my Kindle, so the library will have to wait for a while. I really love the description of the basket of anemones and foliage ‘burnished by briefer days’.

   1. It took me a while to slip between these pages and into the zen of “Ikebana” – I especially like to buy ex library poetry or arty books though my rule now is to limit purchases and be more of a lender

      1. I can’t help myself when it comes to books. My oldest school-friend sent me an art book for my birthday and I’m waiting for a cold day to snuggle up with hot chocolate and explore it.

         1. some of the joys of winter

2. FYI was not able to comment at your blog but am making this comment through the reader feed.

   I can warmly relate to, “But now this preowned tome makes one rung on my ladder of hardbacks, piled close to hand on the small side table,…” and, “until it will lie in the dust of perpetuity, with all those things I planned to do before there is no time left to do them.”

   1. many thanks for trying Lisa – its yet another WP problem which always occur when they make changes as just recently with the comments section. And in addition
      – could be the Browser you use
      – could be my blog template not up to date enough
      – could be Jetpack taking over from the WP app
      – could be the login problems

      or all of the above!

      1. You’re very welcome, Laura, and again, thanks for the creative prompt.

         1. I too have had problems today commenting on others’ sites but have found that the Brave browser works where Firefox and MS Edge do not

            1. Good to know, thank you. Never heard of Brave.

3. I love your poem about the Japanese art of flower arrangement. I think I would like this very much, having an eye for the aesthetically pleasing, which you have most definitely captured through your words. I especially love how you described “the outdated stamp giving it the aura of a cellophaned bouquet left at a memorial. But now this preowned tome makes one rung on my ladder of hardbacks, piled close to hand on the small side table”. A ladder of books, that makes me smile.❤️

   1. thank you for your appreciation of the imagery Melissa

4. Wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I haven’t bought a book today, in fact I have been saying “no more books” for several years, but some do tend to slip into my hands. Usually garden books, as if I don’t have enough of those.

   1. thank you Jude for such lovely feedback. The no more books rule I apply is something has to go before something can arrive!

      1. I have that rule enforced on the OH regarding guitars!!

5. I have some of those wishful thinking books too–a lot of them.
   I can’t read the prose poem here in the reader, but when I go to your blog, it won’t let me comment…just another WP glitch I guess. But if you are not getting comments, that may be why. (K)

   1. at least you managed and I thank you that – see my response to Lisa also re problem with commenting

      1. I haven’t been able to leave comments for Gillena for months. It doesn’t seem to matter what browser I use either–I have three choices on this computer, and none work, in different ways.

         My daughter (a programmer) says WP is famous for not really fixing things, just putting on band aids, which often compounds or produces new problems. Her job has a lot of such programs too, but no one wants to take the trouble or time to totally rework it and solve the issue once and for all.

         1. WP also seem to fix things that were not broken in the first place so that they never work again – I look in the help fórums but nothing relevant seems to be there even though these issues are effecting so many of us

            1. I’m done talking to the happiness engineers. They don’t have a clue.

6. Sounds like a beautiful book, I loved a tinted hint of Autumn in the mornings then opening to a basket of anenomes. I couldn’t think of anything better. Minimalist theatre of poised, colour arrangements. Beautiful imagery.

   1. its a poetic art which I tried to capture in prose so thank you

7. The kind of book it’s slightly exciting to know other people have already read and enjoyed. To be treasured.

   1. indeed – and tried too as others may have done before me

8. I love your descriptions of the actual book. There is something special about knowing other people have read and enjoyed the book before you. Thank you for the prompt!

   1. thank you Merril – Ikebana lends itself to the poetic

      1. You’re welcome, Laura. Yes, I imagine it does!

9. I loved that it was a library book, you descibed it so well. You brought back so many memories. A lovely read. Thank you.

   1. many thanks Alison

10. This is beautiful Laura, so poetic just like this art 🌺

    1. thank you – it was an apt topic for my prompt and coincidentally the last book I purchased

11. I love cellophaned bouquet, I have such a book – this is like you have been in my house. The ending resonates so strongly for me.

    1. I very much appreciate your feedback on this – many thanks

12. You left us guessing!! Guessing of the means you used to manage getting this lovely luscious
    book into your home. Fletcher a one fourth family name of mine. They came from Maine but to there from Southeastern England.
    ..

    1. yes it was purchased second hand not purloigned as the last borrower 😉

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