Fugitive Poetry. 1600–1878/The Night-Flowering Cereus

The Night-Flowering Cereus.

 

"The night-flowering Cereus, or Cactus grandiflorus, is one of our most splendid hothouse plants, and is a native of Jamaica, and some other of the West India Islands. Its stem is creeping, and thickly set with spines. The flower is white, and very large, sometimes nearly a foot in diameter. The most remarkable circumstance with regard to the flower, is the short time which it takes to expand, and the rapidity with which it decays. It begins to open late in the evening, flourishes for an hour or two, then begins to droop, and before morning is completely dead."—Sacred Harp of American Poetry.

 

Now departs day's garish light— Beauteous flower, lift thy head!Rise upon the brow of night! Haste, thy transient lustre shed!

Night has dropped her dusky veil— All vain thoughts be distant far,While, with silent awe, we hail Flora's radiant evening star.

See to life her beauties start, Hail! thou glorious, matchless flower!Much thou sayest to the heart, In the solemn fleeting hour.

Ere we have our homage paid, Thou wilt bow thine head and die;Thus our sweetest pleasures fade, Thus our brightest blessings fly.

Sorrow'» rugged stem, like thine, Bears a flower thus purely bright;Thus, when, sunny hours decline, Friendship sheds her cheering light.

Religion, too, that heavenly flower, That joy of never-fading worth,Waits, like thee, the darkest hour, And then puts all her glories forth.

Then thy beauties are surpassed, Splendid flower, that bloom'st to die;For Friendship and Religion last, When the morning beams on high.