Poem to mark Queen’s death penned by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage – and it features one of her favourite flowers | UK News
Floral Tribute by Simon Armitage
Evening will come, however determined to be late afternoon,
Ironwoods and oaks in their last green, dragging in the September fog.
I have suggested a lily to light these hours, a sign of thanks,
Regions and halos of soft light surround the glowing globes.
A promise made and kept for a lifetime – it’s your gift –
Because of that, this is a reciprocal gift, gloves for some,
Each shiny bonnet is protected by lance-shaped leaves.
The country has loaded itself entirely into your slender arms,
Hands that could have rested have now lifted the weight of a century.
Evening has come. Rain on the black lake and dark Munros.
Lily of the Valley, an almost identical name, a favorite flower
Interspersed with your famous bouquets, these
The strong fervor and grace of the lanterns, each bunch of flowers
A silent bell disguises a peculiar voice. A new dark day
Rest on remote mountain peaks and public parks, and
Everything pops up these brilliant petals and deep roots,
This lily thrives between the top and the plant, has a luminosity
Hold and glow beyond the life and borders of its bloom.