My bonnie flower, with truest joy
Thy welcome face I see,
The world grows brighter to my eyes,
And summer comes with thee.
My solitude now finds a friend,
And after each hard day,
I in my mountain garden walk,
To rest, or sing, or pray.
All down the rocky slope is spread
Thy veil of rosy snow,
And in the valley by the brook,
Thy deeper blossoms grow.
The barren wilderness grows fair,
Such beauty dost thou give;
And human eyes and Nature’s heart
Rejoice that thou dost live.
~excerpt ‘Mountain-Laurel’ from A Garland for Girls by Louisa May Alcott
This is my husband's very favorite flower! We have tried twice to grow them, but they don't make it past the first season. Just beautiful!
The name of my housing development here in very southern, Southern California is "Mountain Laurel." I like the name and even included it in the registration name of one of my Cardigan Welsh Corgis. I believe we have a native mountain laurel although I have never seen it and it is nowhere near as vivid as yours.
wow, that is so pretty!
Beautiful flower. Beautiful prose. I am and Alcott fan (just posted some Louisa related fun myself a few days agao), but I was unfamiliar with this poem. Many thanks for sharing.