Prelude
I have watched this enormous wild shrub just outside my bed room for over two decades. At first glance, it does not seem that different from all the other seemingly endless variety of flora. The small intense green leaves are quite pleasant and the pattern is interesting. It is during the first two weeks in June that the miracle of the Mock Orange becomes manifest. An unbelievable profusion of perfect white flowers explode over the entire bush. It seems like a plant world super nova ! The fragrance is somewhere between honeysuckle and orange blossom. The beauty of this natural spectacle inspired this poem.
The Mock Orange
the mock orange does not mock
but rather speaks devine truth
with complete honesty
it is cloaked with the
fragrance of a spring long past
while almost forgotten memories
of delirious childhood
caress my soul
I sing the songs of
newborn life and dance
the cadence of creation
while memories of past joy
flood my soul
I must struggle to hush
my spirit for the whisper
of mock orange is subtle
and its prophecy is like
a gentle seabreeze
within the great circle
I have come to see
that difficulty and simplicity
are not so far apart
as I strive to understand
the teaching of mock orange
Gareth Crispell (c) June 1998