White hydrangeas “turn rust” with “a line of brown runs over them” in “mid September”

These two photos were taken yesterday (September 17) and must have been the same hydrangeas that Carl Sandburg saw in a mid September when he wrote the poem of hydrangea.  The title of this post is taken from the lines of this poem.

9/17/12

9/17/12

Hydrangea: 
I tell you the white hydrangeas turn rust and go soon.
Already mid September a line of brown runs over them.
One sunset after another tracks the faces, the petals.
Waiting, they look over the fence for what way they go.
           — Carl Sandburg

Sandburg’s hydrangea “look over the fence for what way they go,” all of the flowers and veggies in our garden go to heaven when they die, if, like Mark Twain said, the criteria of going to heaven is by merit, not by favor.

Carl Sandburg is known for his Lincoln (if I were allowed to have only one book, out of probably over 20,000 books that was the figure many years ago, about Lincoln, this is the one I want, and I do own the 4-volume set of Lincoln: the War Years, thanks to Jo, who purchased it online paying an handsome price; I must be worth it), he is also a poet.

The following two photos are 年輕漂亮的 hydrangeas, taken on 8/20/12 when they were young, innocent and gorgeous.

8/20/12

8/20/12