LUNARIA ANNUA

 

Honesty blooms once a year.
It comes from the Balkans.

Left to its own devices
it turns up in unexpected places.

Its sillicles may become coins,
monocles, chips of the moon.

Its windchime orchestra
entices bees to dance.

Silver dollar, satin pod,
moonwort, money tree.

The Dutch will tell you
its papery seedpods rustled

in Judas' pockets
all the way home.

My friend Emily found a plant growing behind her house. My friend Chris identified it as lunaria annua, colloquially known as honesty. (Also as silver dollar, satin pod, moonwort, and money tree, among others.) Once I read a bit about it, the poem followed.

Sources: Lunaria annua Wikipedia entry; How to grow Honesty; Honesty Plant - Lunaria. (The image accompanying this post is by Linda and is published under creative commons.)

At least one other poet has written a short poem inspired by this plant. If you know of other lunaria annua poems, let me know!