peony wisdom

for my 70th birthday,
i was given the most exquisite peony
of such alluring color it made me blush
and weak in the knees..

it was fresh ~
plump and youthful ~
like the skin i may have had
when i was 17..

the depth of colour aroused
some heady seduction
down fathoms to blood and marrow..

opened and closed all at once 
in presence and aloof..
afar
if one was in the room
with this bloom
there is no way
you could look thither..

come hither..
dip into
the quintessence
the inner sanctum
the elixir of pollination
the antennae of looksee
a half a dozen nipples of venus
amidst a lion's mane of pleasure
miraculous mastery
marvel of minutiae
mysterious modus operandi
holy mo!

and fragrance -
subdued
coy, even
demurely inviting
the sense of smell
to come a little bit closer
you're my kind of gal
earthy and vague

it is now 5 days since my birthday
a pale ivoryness wafts about
still enticing
perfectly wide open
full and empty all at once
expansive and ceasing
the fragility of each petal
soon to fall like blessings
~ elderlore mist ~

ah ~ i see
this is me..

o sage of the peony lineage
i bow with palms folded -
as i myself fold
into senescence beauty
the ancientness to come
and go and go and go..