Showing posts with label Poinciana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poinciana. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Lateral
















"Onward and upward," I've heard said. Upward like this palm tree. Vertical aspiration. But there's a lot to be said for lateral growth. The Royal Poinciana tree grows laterally and blooms like mad. It's also called "Flame Tree."















This morning I got stuck working on a poem, walked away from the computer and lay down. I went lateral. Forgot about the poem, drifted into reverie, then the first couple of lines that had given me so much trouble sorted themselves out. I'm all for going prone.

What do you do when you're stuck? Tell me.




Friday, May 29, 2009

Poinciana

The tree has many names; Poinciana, for M. Poinci, 17th century governor of the French Antilles, Flame Tree, Mohur Tree, Red Flame, Royal Poinciana, Flamboyant Tree.

This one is flaming on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Thirteenth Street in South Beach, its span at least fifty feet.  

I had a cousin who believed that red was disreputable.  The Flame Tree is scarlet, red with an orange tint.  Red, scarlet, vermillion, crimson, carmine, rose: my favorite colors.