Rhododendruris

Rhododendrons are now beginning to bloom gloriously in various
mountain regions of Victoria. Of these beautiful flowers, the late
Blamire Young, that poet in water-color, once said that “they hold
the quality of tears”.

NONE save a poet’s eye marked this, concealed;
None save a poet’s mind conceived the phrase
Whereat, all suddenly, is there revealed
A hidden beauty to our wondering gaze,
Until, reluctantly, grows the belief
That ecstasy can be so near to grief.

The quality of tears, beauty so rare;
Perfection drawn to such a splendid height
Of loveliness, that pain is almost there;
And, as the miracle glows in our sight,
Deep in our hearts we know when all is done
In the last end are joy and sorrow one.

Now in this garden are great torches lit
Of many colors, flaming to the sky.
Song is abroad where honeyeaters flit
’Mid cherry-blossom, and the plaintive cry
Of cuckoos weaves and wafts, till one is caught
In breathless wonder at the beauty wrought.

Gaze deep into the heart of this one bloom,
Into the dewy tenderness set there,
Gaze long until the heart finds no more room
For foolish doubt, or hating, or despair.
Gaze on this miracle sprung from dull sod,
And know their folly who live doubting God.

The quality of tears. Yet not the tears
Of human bitterness that finds no worth
In life; of weariness or human fears
That glimpse no hope in all this harried earth,
But tears won out of ecstasy too sweet
For those who walk the earth with leaden feet.

Wisdom lies here; a wisdom far beyond
The lore of sages striving toilfully
For those hard truths that bring nought save despond
To luckless mortals lacking eyes to see.
Wisdom the poet found these many years —
Found in a flower’s rare quality of tears.