Peonies

Late May a time for Peonies
Those wondrous blooms
From bud to flourish
A revelation, they
Hold so much the perfume
And the glorious display
Each bloom an exquisite specimen
Notables they be
Often the rain can decimate
The years growth violently

A storm with wind and rain sbout
Will break the stems and we
See broken blossoms in the mud
The illogicality
Of what you have been building
To empirical acclaim
The certainty of the unshakeable
Where no bloom is the same

Staking them protects them, then
They will get a sporting chance
But if the rain should turn to hail
Not a second glance
Bodying forth a presence
A pageant in a way
A source of light and colour
As June creates the day