Winter rose

What does it mean to bloom in the dead of night?

photo by yasmin dahnoun (me!)

I’ve recently been contemplating hellebores and certain varieties of camellias that bloom in the dead of winter. These flowers aren’t actually roses, though they bear rose-like faces. True roses wait for spring, blooming when blooming is expected, whilst hellebores do not.

Every part of the hellebore is poisonous to humans and animals, a quite defene that carries it through the winter months of its bloom. I’m drawn to this plant because it’s a rebel rose - it’s moody, unpredictable, deadly, tender and untouchable all at once.

So inspired by the winter rose, I’ve written a poem I’d love to share, offered in celebration of the solstice, and in gratitude for reaching twenty subscribers this year. This feels like a small gift, especially for those who’ve joined The Flowering Furnace, helping me grow and turn my own dreams into existence….

Winter rose

Soft, scentless white rose opening, 
in the dead of night, out of sight, 
Only the stars can see its heartbeat, 
leaping from the land,
rare as a white dear, 
a long-eared owl, 
or a mountain hare, 
breathing its evergreen dreams into being, 
into belonging in the unbelongable,
adorned with spider webs, and icy dew drop pearls 
protected with its poison, 
armed with claws, clasped firmly into existence
roots resistant, 
stood deep in the depths 
of damp and darkness,
surviving, 
and thriving, 
in the silent solitude of solstice. 

With Christmas, winter, and the lack of sunlight in general for those in the northern hemisphere, it can sometimes take its toll. I hope this comes as a reminder, you, too, are allowed to take space. You are allowed to bloom quietly, to work silently on your craft, to open in your own time, with a gentleness that only silence and solitude can offer.

While this season often centres on togetherness with friends and loved ones, let this be permission to turn inward. To sit with your roots. To rest in the darkness, to surrender or seed as you truly please.

Thank you for being here, feel free to like, share subscribe. This really helps the flowering furnace to truly flourish <3