CMP Review 2024-06-13

June 13, 2024

One of my favorite flowers is the spiderwort. The purple petals sparkle and shine in a way that cannot be seen in a photo. The anthers shine as if they were fireflies that never go out. And the grasslike leaves bend in distinctive arches with their own pale sheen. The appearance of these celebrations of color and geometry is a highlight of my spring.

The rest of the year, on the other hand, my son is fascinated by a winter weed that he has dubbed “the saber plant.” Thin, curved leaves hang down from the stem as if a man were holding a saber in each hand, crossed at his waist. When we behold a field of saber plants, it is a magnificent army poised for war.

The identity of the saber plant has eluded us. I always thought someday we would “just happen” to recognize its spring or summertime form. The other day I was looking at the arched leaves of my beloved spiderwort and I thought I saw something. Was it the arch of a curved sword?

On Friday we plan to head out to the fields where we know the saber plant dwells. Will we find spiderworts in their place? “That would be quite the plot twist,” my son said. But then, it would not be the first time that he and I began on separate journeys only to arrive at the same place. When left to themselves to wander, that’s often what friends do.

@artmiddlekauff