~ Ellen Herrick
The Herb Garden - Castle Acre Priory, Norfolk
photo by Glen Bowman
I turned a quote by Henry Beston into a found poem for Poetry Friday. It made me think about how everyone, no matter their appearance, is more than what you see.
Wholeness
by Henry Beston
A garden of herbs
is a garden of things
loved for themselves
in their wholeness
and integrity.
It is not
a garden of flowers,
but a garden of plants
which are sometimes
very lovely flowers
and are always
more than flowers.
*********
I'm going to be having a little herb tasting week for my family in July, using recipes from Rosalee De La Forêt's Taste of Herbs exercise collection. (If you are interested, I would check out her Alchemy of Herbs book which I think has similar recipes but isn't part of a larger class. Also here's a video of her making an elderberry recipe from Taste of Herbs.)
Carol's Corner has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Carol!
P.S. Diane shared a quote from my dad's book Wider Thoughts on the Team IMPERFECT blog yesterday.
9 comments:
I love Henry Beston's books, and somehow that word you chose to be "found" that I loved here is "wholeness". Each stands by itself, missing nothing. Thanks, Tabatha, your herb tasting sounds nice.
What a delicious poem Tabatha, and the website for Henry Beston And Elizabeth Coatsworth is wonderful thanks for directing us there. I liked the video on the oxymel too. The herb tasting sounds fun, thanks for sharing all!
A herb tasting. What fun. I do love that last line of your found poem. Well - a little more than the last line, actually; always / more than flowers.
Isn't it wonderful that you're highlighting Henry Beston today and I shared a poem from Elizabeth Coatsworth!? Now, if only someone shares some Kate Barnes poetry, we'll be all set! I'm going to check out the website you shared. I am ashamed to say I know little of these two authors -- that will be fun to rectify this summer! Your herb testing week sounds delightful. Have fun!
I didn't know Harry Beston at all, so of course I had to follow your link to his website. I read the "ABOUT" section, which of course made me think I need to hunt down his book and move to a small cottage on Cape Cod. I love thinking about how people are "sometimes very lovely flowers and are always more than flowers." Big truth there. I am always amazed by you creative types-- you write beautiful poetry and make wonderful books and then you cook with fresh herbs besides! Holy cow!!!!
What a yummy post! Thank you!
I agree with Linda. In their wholeness really resonated with me. There is something lovely about seeing something in its wholeness. What an amazing garden!
A grand ending... ditto Kathryn's fav "always more than flowers".
Well! I am getting to know Elizabeth and Henry *uite well this morning! My love affair with herbs is a steady but modest thing, ever since I had to admit that I'm not a natural gardener. Herbs are what I don't do best, and this year I didn't get around to putting the basics into pots on my patio until this past Wednesday morning! Rosemary, mint, oregano, thyme, basil--that's all I need for a happy summer. Thank you for bringing Henry's words forth in simple wholeness.
Wanna go for a walk sometime soon?
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