Resurrection Summer— Duranta erecta is a shower of violet blossoms, buzzing with bees and hummingbirds, mirroring the purple dragonfly wind chimes that sway nearby. Autumn— Duranta erecta is a bouquet of golden orange berries, glowing in unison with the fallen leaves—each golden dewdrop a gem in a cluster of sunlit jewels. Winter— Duranta erecta, too massive to be covered, turns brown and plays dead, while it waits for the blade to remove its branches, restore its roots. Spring— Duranta erecta emerges from the ground, slowly at first, then, picking up green momentum, begins its virescent evolution, a promise of future violet and gold. To be beautiful is to die, frozen, then be cut down to the ground, so that essence, which thrives in the dark, can manifest true colors.
Diane Elayne Dees is the author of the chapbooks Coronary Truth (Kelsay Books), The Last Time I Saw You, (Finishing Line Press) and The Wild Parrots of Marigny. Diane, who lives in Covington, Louisiana, also publishes Women Who Serve, a blog that delivers news and commentary on women’s professional tennis throughout the world.
Amethyst Review 