"They'd Die of Homesickness That Day"

When recently looking up press for the Minneapolis Farmers Market, I came across a blog article by Tracey Paska titled, "Blue Gentian Farms a Midwest Refuge for Heritage Breeds." I clicked on the article because the "blue gentians" and "heritage breeds" spoke to me. I learned the farm raised Scottish Highland Cows (Mom loved "hee-land coos") among other livestock, and, according to the article, they took their name from the rare blue gentians that grow on the farm. It reminded me of a poem Mom used to read aloud to us from her worn-out anthology of poems called "Fringed Gentians" by Amy Lowell. The title of the anthology I can't recall. My memories of it were its threadbare, avocado-colored cover with just a hint of gold where the name of the title once lay. Here is the poem for you to enjoy:

Fringed Gentians

by Amy Lowell

 

Near where I live there is a lake
As blue as blue can be, winds make
It dance as they go blowing by.
I think it curtseys to the sky.

It's just a lake of lovely flowers
And my Mamma says they are ours;
But they are not like those we grow
To be our very own, you know.

We have a splendid garden, there
Are lots of flowers everywhere;
Roses, and pinks, and four o'clocks
And hollyhocks, and evening stocks.

Mamma lets us pick them, but never
Must we pick any gentians -- ever!
For if we carried them away
They'd die of homesickness that day.


If you are interested in the Minneapolis Farmers Market, Blue Gentian Farms or Tracey Paska's blog you can peruse the links below:

www.mplsfarmersmarket.com

www.bluegentianfarms.com

www.simplegoodandtasty.com




                          

                                 Fringed Genetian from
                                Georgia Botanical Society site.
                          www.gabotsoc.com