Monday, June 29, 2009

Laurel

LAUREL, n. The laurus, a vegetable dedicated to Apollo, and formerly defoliated to wreathe the brows of victors and such poets as had influence at court. (Vide supra.)

2009 Update: A metaphor for admiration, given to honor a successful poet.
Though the winds howl, and the night should turn ebon
And fear should flow cold through the fount of the pen;
Though their names be given to few to adore
And the granary bares it's own earthen floor,
The complaint is the same where the scribes congregate
"All my orchards I'd offer to be laureate."
-Anonymous

16 comments:

Jim said...

Laurel: I'd sit on my laurels but I only have one now after my surgery. Did you ever try sitting on just one laurel? Not much to be proud of, that's for sure.
..
Thanks, sleepy-heads, for letting me get to be first once more.
..

Minka said...

laurel,n. not hardy

TLP said...

Good one Minka.

Accolades to your poem Douglas.

sauerkraut said...

Laurel broke my heart. Tall and red-headed with blue eyes, she decided to turn to a football player. Her loss.

Here in pennsyltucky, we are very familiar with another type of laurel - mountain laurel, aka Kalmia latifolia, from the family of Ericaceae - a bush which produces an azalea-ish type flower but which is native to pennsyltucky and serves as the state flower.

picture here - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/mountainlaurel.aspx

tsduff said...

Bay leaves are my favorite laurel - known as the "true Laurel" they are my choice of flavoring for lamb stew.

What a great poem - well done.

Is that a watering can in your hand?

pia said...

I was going to offer laurels for your poem but I see that TLP beat me to it

Anonymous said...

laurel
a friend of
cherry
bay
cinnamon
sure enjoy the shade
on a day like
today...
peace

Anonymous said...

A friend who would tantrum when we were playing games in our single digits and she was losing.

weirsdo said...

We have mountain laurel in our yard. Gypsy moths like it a lot.

Tom & Icy said...

Making Monday appear as Wednesday is pushing the envelope of poetry.

Jamie Dawn said...

Laurel: a pretty name for a girlie girl.

:-)

cooper said...

Laurels are nice, but wouldn't you rather have cash for that one Doug?

Flip said...

Doug may be a laurel poet, but Diamonelle makes the winds howl and the night turn ebon.

karen said...

I believe cooper is spot on.

Doug The Una said...

Jim, a reduction in laurels is probably a sign of growing wiser, being in many senses an upside-down lobotomy.

Well, Minka, this is another fine definition you've gotten us into.

Thanks, TLP, but I was hoping for cold, hard leaf.

Pretty flower, Sauerkraut. Just the kind to prefer a football player.

Terry, the watering can's upside down on my head. My dad uses bay leaves in spaghetti. He;s pretty fancy for a Missourian.

Pia, the nice thing about metaphors, they don't crowd.

Bear, it was a day for moss, wasn't it?

Jenn, imagine if you'd played with full hands.

Gothic, weirsdo.

Making them rhyme would be, Icy.

JD, are you having another kid?

For that one, Coop, I think a laurel is too much already.

And the pear cups curl, Flip. And the pear cups curl.

Karen, she usually is.

OK, A-bell, you be the echo and I'll be the narcissus. Feliz ultimo de Juni, amiga.

Nessa said...

i heard they sell them at Walmart.