Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Nature's First Green is Gold

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

By Robert Frost

Looking at my previous picture of my first Lavatera, I recall seeing it recently in the garden and thinking, "it's not quite as pink, not quite as vibrant a hue." And so it is with everything that is new, young, fresh and beautiful - "nature's first green" - it truly is gold - that first green in spring, so special and yet so fleeting. We are given a poignant reminder that life is brief, and we have to appreciate the beauty while we can, even though sometimes storm clouds obscure our vision, and there seem to be so many reasons we should not be happy. Seem to be.