Wood Anemone

Anemone quinquefolia

Sheltered when small by the three deeply cut leaves, this so-called windflower sways on its thin stalk even from the wake of a passing fly. Its pale sepals serve as an almost mirror for the April sun, warming the sexual organs, perhaps even helping to attract— in lieu of nectar or fragrance— the solitary bees that bring it carnal knowledge of its mates. Veined like flesh drained of color, sometimes flushed pink underneath, its close relatives reminded the Egyptians of sickness & European peasants of an ill omen, especially the way it folds up each night like a tent. What is it trying to hide? What secret pleasures prompt such incessant trembling? It’s bitter, they say, burns the mouth & throat, causes nausea, vomiting & diarrhea. But the deer in early spring are ravenous. It wants to live. By midsummer, flower & fruiting done, its ruined leaves melt away into the damp ground.