Parijat – Night Jasmine

Parijat - The Night Jasmine
In love with this obscure flower since my childhood
autumn months filled my lane with her fragrance divine
allured by its beauty and intoxicated by it's scent
I stood under that tree many a times
in awe of its beauty, colour and many tell-tales
I vow to have one such tree in my own garden one day.
 
Parijat - a tree from heaven as they say
ethereal flowers with provoking fragrance.
The Gods who themselves were smitten by her beauty 
fought amongst themselves to lay a claim.
Harsingar she is called too , a blossom fit for Gods
a pin wheel flower with white corolla petals
saffron stalk to the centre, replicating the sun. 
 
My grandmother told me once 
of a beautiful legend of a one sided-love. 
Love between princess Parijat and the Sun
when the Sun refused her love 
the princess couldn’t take the rejection 
She killed herself to prover her love for him
and thus this tree rose from her ashes.
 
Thus she now blooms only in the night 
and as the dawn approaches 
her withered flower fall like teardrops, 
she sheds them as soon as the sun is up, 
loathing the sight of her lover who never loved her.
Parijat - The Night Jasmine
I vow to have one such tree in my own garden one day.


©Preeti S Manaktala
Day 11

 

Our optional prompt for the day is based on the concept of the language of flowers. Have you ever heard, for example, that yellow roses stand for friendship, white roses for innocence, and red roses for love? Well, there are as many potential meanings for flowers as there are flowers. For today, I challenge you to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings. And if you’re having trouble getting started, why not take a gander at this glossary of flower meanings? (You can find a plain-text version here). Feel free to make use of these existing meanings, or make up your own.