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The Wisdom of Flowers

A collection of poems written by the Poetry Outdoors community.

Jun 12, 2026

Dear Friends,

Each month, I share a collection of poems written by the Poetry Outdoors community.

These poems are inspired by our monthly Meadow writing circle where we weave together zen teachings and nature poetry. Last month, we wrote on turning towards the face of beauty, as the first spring blooms began to appear.

Each poem was written in conversation with a flower, looking beyond common ways we describe its beauty in our writing, and instead, receiving its wisdom that carries us deeper into relationship with the interconnectedness of all things.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Wild Flower
by Katelynn Hegedus

I am drawn to the wild ones,
their delicate skirts wrapping me in fragrance,
inviting me to shed my
cloaks of protection,
lay them upon the Earth,
and bare my heart for what is to come.

I sit in communion with the flowers.
One being with another,
sharing the moment of now.
Witnessing one another's suffering and joy,
happiness and sorrow.

Marveling at her perfect blossoms,
I watch the energy pulse through her veins;
the voluptuous unfolding of a life cycle,
provoking reproduction with her unabashed sex.

In stillness she shares her truth;
hers not spoken word,
but vibrant bloom.

She exists not as a flower,
but as the womb of her mother.
The place where natures meet in perfect synchronicities
and seeds are born,
beginning the cycle anew.

I hear the stories of her people,
carring ancestral wisdom
passed on through wind and time
to this very place I sit
watching. Listening.

Flower is the culmination of dreams,
a symbol of transformation,
wholly in service to every generation
behind and beyond.

Flower is not only what she is,
but also what she does.
To deny her nature is to wither,
to abort.

Photo by Brandie J. Martin from Monet's garden in France, October 2022.

Petals are Waiting
Brandie J. Martin

Come.

Petals are waiting,
to enfold your heart
into my warm embrace.
Find your center,
be calm and still.
Let me brush worries away.
Leave the wheels of progress behind
and be in this moment.
Life is fleeting,
my offer lasting.
I wait to be noticed,
petals are ready,
to hold you safe
to overshadow hurriedness.
I will remain here,
gracefully lingering,
for you to slow,
for you to turn from the noise,
for you to be.

Come.

Photo by Marion Gibbon.

Cistus
Marion Gibbon

I see you,
I feel you,
Your energy entwined with mine,
I learn from you,
To be in the moment,
Your petals so fleeting,
Tissue thin,
Like confetti scattered,
In their transience,
I know you,
Thank you for your presence,
A reminder that
All is not what it seems,
But serendipity,
Is on the horizon,
Let it flow to you,
Don’t turn your back.

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

Peony
by Abbie Shanahan

It has been a slow seduction.

Sunday, I carried her home
on sturdy stalk,
head heavy with promise

Shut tight
with the sorbet colors
of what
might
be

On Tuesday,
sweetness scented the room
tight clasp
undone

Frayed edges slowly
opening
one upon the other
a whole ache of it

This is no perky bloom

She needs time
to come alive

Each layered petal,
a gradient of color
a full-bodied
reveal
of pink-tipped tongues
pollen-dusted hairs

By Thursday she is
an open curtain
impossible to ignore

Come Friday,
this dance has left her
drained of color,
scent turned stale

Sunday returns
with dramatic memory—
pigmented petals on the floor.

Photo by Marlene Haiberger on Unsplash

June Meadow: Alive in the Ordinary

Our next monthly zen poetry circle is coming up on Thursday, June 18th from 6-7:30pm PST.

In celebration of the solstice, I am offering 20% off yearly paid subscriptions for Poetry Outdoors until June 22nd.

As a paid subscriber, you receive free access to our Meadow circle, that includes:

• Access to every monthly Meadow, including recordings if you aren’t able to attend the live session.

• A monthly letter that includes reflections on the teachings we explore in each meadow, writing prompts, and a nature-based activity.

• An opportunity to have the poetry you write during the Meadow published on Poetry Outdoors.