Courtyard plant in Malame, Crete

AMARYLLIS

Such beauty takes my breath away!
Sitting there, tall and proud,
inviting adoration.
At first glance flamingo pink,
yet no, too quick a judgement!
This amaryllis flower is multi-layered,
Closer inspection tells a greater truth,
its strands of colour blended seamlessly together.

At birth displaying gentle tangerine
with inner bell of warmest apricot pink,
it toiled majestically upwards towards
the weak light of first Spring….
Much bolder then the shades became,
blood red tendrils interspersed
with splashes of coral and ruby red.

Now all too soon the glory starts to fade
and withering petals glow defiant crimson,
as though they’re holding back a loss of blood
and clinging to the last vestiges of life.
This sweet enchantment fills the morning space,
warms up the chilly air of early March.
Sweet memories of this colourful profusion
will stay forever locked within my heart.

-Margaret Royall