The Last Daylily was originally published by Amethyst Review
The last daylily of the season
bloomed alone, a reminder
of both the beauty and fragility
of every living thing.
Its orpiment petals shone
through the curtains,
as if locked in an elegant dance
with the golden glow of the floor lamp,
which—bending toward the window—
paid homage to the sun.
Hemerocallis, “day beauty,”
survives drought, frost and disease,
yet each flower lasts only one day.
When the sun fades,
it folds itself into submission
to the rhizome’s destiny,
having completed its small role
in a life so much greater than
the consciousness of blossoms.
