Tulip Vase Poem

This poem was written by Angie de Courcy Bower, a member of the Wakefield Word Writers' Group.

It was written in response to the Wakefield Tulip Society tulip vase in our 100 Years of Collecting Online Exhibition. 

I show them in the simplest way,

my column made from clay and glaze:

not too tall,

nor small,

not too wide or light,

just right.

My plainness won’t compete

as I watch beauty from beneath.

Feeding pride with gentle sips,

they drink of me, like dew.

Kept fresh, renewed,

for all to feast on treasure

birthed by faithful few.

So I can collar precious head

of vibrant hues,

on slender stem,

to dazzle all with silken gem.

Pay homage to the love which strives,

so petals thrill, and thrive.

Being of the earth

I understand that give and take

will gift a strength,

make sense,

of playing minor, tender part,

to focus eyes on crowning art.

While numbers, basked in flaming glory,

cascade to deeper stories…

Of tragic fates.

The Ottoman state.

Turbans and bells.

Magical spells.

Viruses, seeds.

Hybrid breeds.

Objects of obsession.

Prized possessions.

Charm’s ebb and flow.

Bulbs better than gold.

Wakefield Tulip Society members at a show in the 1920s or 1930s.