Friday, May 14, 2010

Bittersweet Buds

Tonight I picked lilacs in the dark.  Choosing the opening buds from the glow of a streetlight.  The tight snap of twigs and a fistful of branches.

I was filled with a panic.  Their faint smell calling me as I stepped from my car.  The season is gone so quickly.  Those shades of purple drying into soft browns.  The hedge that runs the length of my alley.

I needed to collect them in handfuls.  Rinse the mason jars in my cupboard and spread them around.  Bring them inside.  They remind me, every year, that time goes too fast.

3 comments:

Allison said...

We have lilacs in our yard too and I wish they would stay all summer. They smell so nice.

All my favourite flowers don't last - like my grandmother's irises are about to bloom. They don't last either.

Allison said...

P.S. Now I have "Lilac Wine" by Jeff Buckley stuck in my head.

Tall Brunette said...

This is so beautiful.