Eerbloom: Rose of Friendship

The heirloom rose by the rail is blooming now.

The buds start out deep coral, turn dark orange,
fade to peach, pale out in pink with a golden core.
Loathed to clip flowers, sa!e and sa!or beauty,
to eke out the bloom to its pale, pale end.
" neighbor, not caring for the o!erblown rose,
tells me, Dont be afraid to snip after the first blush
and before the hip, to bring forth a second flush
and another and another in brilliant succession.
#ont let it consummate once in a season spent.
$ead it off before it comes so that blossoms
will come again and again in beauty e%tended.
&eauty in!ested: cut it short to reap it long.
'a!ing is not sa!ing, usury not usury in transmuting
the coin of the realm into the coin of the spirit:
The (hristians, after "ristotle, outlawed usury,
saying it was unnatural to breed metal from metal.
&ut reaping roses from roses is like the usury of friendship,
one gift spawning another in an infinite cycle of lo!e,
like &otticellis Three )races, whose diaphanous
flutter of gowns and graceful mo!ements of arms,
demonstrate the roundel of heartful e%change.
*nhae Langis