“Dahlias’ Garden”, by ~meroe1313

October frost,
Kissing sweetly the dahlia
Shaded by brittle sunflowers.
Dahlias, stubby cute and umbrella wide,
Burning pink to thicker red, sunburst yellow and orange and muddled white.
In silken embrace does the insect hide,
Safe from the giant world
In the dahlia’s sheltering compassion.
Imagine one’s self shrunk to bug’s size,
Forging an uncertain path through the grass,
Gazing into sky broken by colorful dahlia elephants,
Multi-pedal heads bobbing as if in greeting.
The king of them all, a blood-red beauty
Fit for the shining breast of a deity,
Rustles its flower hands as if chuckling amidst a thrall
Of worshipping green.
To curl up in those pillowy cushions
And doze under the scuttling clouds…
If only for today,
Because the October frost
Sweetly kisses the dahlias
Into sleep tomorrow.


Thanks to my sister, who wrote this poem for me. My painting “Dahlia Dawn” was originally inspired by a trip to the John C. Campbell Folk School. There, near the end of October, I saw a large flower garden. Most of the flowers had already died except for the many kinds of dahlias. One dahlia, the red one I painted, was the largest and most perfect of all the dinner plate sized dahlias. I photographed them on their last day. That night, the first frost hit and they wilted the following afternoon. I felt honored to see them in their glory. I hope you enjoy their ephemeral beauty as I have.

***There are two insects hidden in this artwork! If you can't find them, I can provide a key***

Also, a thanks to ! Seeing his beautiful flower paintings gave me the courage to try this.


“Dahlias' Garden” Poem written and © by Amber Bevan, 2009
“Dahlia Dawn” 14x18” acrylic on canvas. © Cara Bevan 2009

Painting Time: 29 hours, 05 minutes