Historical Poem
1889
The following poem appears in Sarah's anthology,
Love's Messenger: A Choice Collection of Victorian Love Poetry
Click here to get your own copy!
A Floral Flirtation
The American Gardener
From Good Housekeeping May 11, 1889, p. 24
In the garden were leisurely walking,
Brave Robin and Roxy the fair,
And Robin, while walking and talking,
Twined roses in Roxy's brown hair;
Rosebuds and roses all blushing,
With sprigs of the sweet mignonette.
While the blood to their faces kept rushing,
When Robin's eyes Roxy's eyes met;
Jasmine, Laburnum, and Larkspur;
Verbenas, deep dyed and pale,
Gay pansies and Lilies of th' Valley
Heard Love tell his stammering tale;
While the lovers kept walking and talking--
Four eyes bent down to the ground;
Two hearts had been lost, they discovered,
And then discovered them—found.
But didn't know what to do with them,
The lost and found hearts—for a while,
So each plucked a new and fresh nosegay,
And each gave the other a smile.
Each a stem of Forget-me-not gathered,
And each said "Take and keep this;"
Their vows thus exchanged with fresh flowers,
They sealed the exchange—with a kiss;
Fidelity, secrecy, silence,
Each promised to faithfully hold,
Till Robin could earn for his Roxy
A home, and some shekels of gold.
But alas, some open-eared listeners--
Winged messengers, hurrying by,
Saw what had been done in the garden,
And tattled to earth and to sky;
"Oh! Robin and Roxy are lovers,"
They piped with a song and a shout,
"And have plighted their troth in the garden,"
—So the delicate secret was out.
The world soon had the whole story
Which Robin could not deny,
And Roxy, when bantered about it,
Blushed back 'neath a mischievous eye.
So Cupid, and Robin, and Roxy,
Made love, with flowers for words,
As they walked and talked in the garden,
And nobody told but the birds.
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Other historical poems:
A Header (?) (Poem—1883)
A Modern Love Sung in Ancient Fashion (Poem—1884)
The Autumn Woods (Poem—1888)
In Nutting Time (Poem—1890)
Marguerite (Poem—1886)
May Day (Poem—1889)
Memorial Day (Poem—1890)
October (Poem—1888)
On Wings of Love (Poem—1884)
The Soldier's Daughter (Poem—1889)
Together (Poem—1888)
Wheelman's Song (Poem—1883)
Flower articles:
A Floral Flirtation (Poem—1889)
A Plea For the Old-Fashioned Lavender (1880)
Marguerite (Poem—1886)
Language and Sentiment of Flowers (1891)
Out-door Botanizing (1878)
Victoria, B.C., Canada: Downs and ups on an anniversary trip —or, How we were denied entrance to Victoria's most famous garden for dressing too decently, yet still managed to find many lovely flowers in much better places
Victorian flower images:
Flowers
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