Plants precious to my mother-in-law were
to me an oxymoron..things which could demand attention.
She left an unwanted house full of
them..  The dogs and cats tore some apart.
Some died of neglect. One was left.. year
after year she endured..in a dark corner with
occasional watering..and the tooth marks
of unwanted attention. She, a sansevieria, is also
known as mother-in-law's tongue or a snakeplant.
The 10th year... one morning...
upsurging from the center of her green swords
was a rod of slender white
bells eighteen inches high..
The sweetest fragrance
poured from them as
they silently rang
in mystical beauty,
enduring spirit.
She taught me that
she had feelings..
and rights
and resurrection power
in God's light.
I realize writing this that my snake plant flowered shortly after the decision to stop mowing a lawn was made when a leg was chopped off a toad by the mower.
*
to Ruth Shriver
Sansevieria can live 6 months in
the trunk of a car and still survive.
it is made of swordlike
long forest green leaves.. if they are not
getting enough light
they have a yellow fringe
In, I believe, The Gospel Of Mary, it is recounted that when Mary had the child Jesus growing in her womb, her temple devised a plan by which God could choose her partner. Each man who wished to be part of this would put a stick on the altar. The stick which flowered would be her husband. Joseph did not join in, thinking himself too old. Several urged him to.  Lo! The stick he put upon the altar was the one which flowered. Thinking of the rod of bells in the snake plant reminded of this story.