Rite of Spring
At a small bridge in the Warrandyte road
the creek in a culvert passes under
on its way to the Yarra,
Andersons Creek no less,
where gold was found just before
the great Ballarat gold rush.
Warrandytešs rush was lesser.
Now as they say, therešs just
the annual gold of the wattles.
Thatšs early spring, September,
when I always watch as well
for the rebirth of the willows,
roadside, creekside, riverside,
freshest green on the Weeping ones,
silver velvet catkins on the Pussies.*
Great to get there in time with secateurs
and carry home long fronds for the house,
but easy to be too late, and find
the pussies opened, yellow with their pollen,
less fitted for a long spell in a tall vase.
But surprise: this week I made it,
my eye caught by fresh willows
not far from home, in Templestowe
where another modest creek seeks the Yarra.
Wife and dog wait in the car, I tiptoe
through lank grass, lean over a wire fence,
and snip enough fronds to make an armful,
now a strong display at home.
Where folk look, and guess, wrongly,
as if no-one any more knows pussy willow.
26 September 2007
Max Richards
Doncaster, Victoria
*From a website:
Pussy willows are dioecious.
There are male pussy willow trees and female pussy willow trees.
The buds, or catkins, on the male pussy willow trees look different from
those on the females.
The male catkins are showier, and it is the branches of the male trees that
we seek for their "pussy willows."
The catkins of males yield numerous tiny staminate flowers later in spring.
From the decorator's perspective, it is at this point that the bouquet has
"gone by."
Likewise, the female catkins will bear pistillate flowers.
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