When winds blow from the North, And my flowers drop their petals in the late fall, They are stark and stiff within their bowers, And they cry for sustenance, Don’t you, my flowers?
But when bright days come forth, And winds blow from the South, Awakening Spring’s breath, You are happy in April’s showers, Aren’t you, my flowers?
Anna M. Johnson's "My Flowers" is built around a simple contrast between two seasons, and the speaker addresses the flowers directly, almost like old companions. In the first stanza, a North wind arrives in late fall and the flowers shed their petals, left "stark and stiff" in their bowers. The speaker imagines them crying out for sustenance, a small and tender way of giving the plants a voice. The second stanza flips the picture: warm South winds bring spring's breath, and the flowers seem content in April's showers.
What stands out is how each stanza ends with a question, "Don't you, my flowers?" and "Aren't you, my flowers?" The speaker isn't really expecting an answer. The questions suggest affection and a gentle sense of care, as though the speaker watches over the garden and feels its hardships and joys. The mood moves from bare and chilly to soft and hopeful, mirroring the turn of the year.