Hepatica

 Hepatica

Trembling and new

First to bloom

at the whisper of winters turning.

Tender stem,

petals turned down

blushing with her show

until the sun's rays kiss.

Roots wander this way and that.

Rhizomes that you can't see

like legs and hips beneath a matron's gown.

Tidy enough to be wanted.

Wild enough to spring up wherever she likes, 

choosing only a few lush corners to make her show.

She will only stay the afternoon.