getting there

Years ago I planted a little patch of fritillaria beside my back door, because I love the flowers with their checkerboard pattern, and I love the name with its checkerboard sound, and because I am a sucker for words–I fall in love with them. And so this patch of flowers, that only last for a week or two in spring and aren’t stunningly beautiful but rather, interesting, was there for years,
but now there is just this one.

Because my dog, the one we have had for two years, not the one we had before that who knew how to use the paths in my garden, but this one, the one we have now, always, always chooses the path of least resistance, always takes the shortest distance between two points, and this means that the straight line he runs from the back field to our back door goes right through my patch of fritillaria.

And now it is no longer a patch but a path
and there is only just this one,

but how I love its checkerboard pattern

how I love its subtle posture

and how I love, love, love that word.


7 Responses to “getting there”

  • wholly jeanne Says:

    that interesting plant makes my eyes and mouth smile in tandem. i had a dog once who seemed absolutely allergic to paths, so i went to thrift shops and bought bird cages to enclose (and thus protect) plants the aforementioned canine was rapidly adding to the endangered species list. made for an interesting yard, i must say.

  • jill Says:

    what an interesting flower. you should plant more in another location (far from the beaten path!) 🙂

  • Tracy Says:

    What a beautiful post, Mrs. M. It literally gave me chills… I don’t know why! Maybe it’s because I love words too and you sing them out so beautifully in this blog – my favorite blog, by the way.

  • beth Says:

    i love this flower….and it’s name !
    and feel like i live in a cave having never heard of it before.

    and the photo you took of it….swoon !

  • Debi Says:

    ahhh, this is a piece of life as poetry/life rushing by. fabulous, fabulous post. such writing, mrs. m. – this is how you hooked me. i thank you for that.

  • georgia Says:

    and how i love love love the way you write.

    i had never heard of that flower. it’s always a pleasure to go to someone’s blog and learn something new. that i have done, today.

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