A Poem by Lisa Kelly

Blue Hydrangea

A dead hydrangea is as intricate and lovely as one in bloom
– Toni Morrison, ‘Tar Baby’

The Emperor fed you eggshells,
coffee grounds and citrus peel
to turn you from pink to blue.

The Emperor did not want a girl,
a blowsy girl, common as hell,
you understand. He wanted you.

The Emperor prized your petals,
how they skirted, how they fell,
how they kaleidoscoped to view.

The Emperor at the windlass well,
turned the handle, lowered the pail,
pulled up an acidic brew.

The Emperor crooned Water Vessel,
poured and sang, then set sail
to search for where the bluest grew.

The Emperor was gone a spell,
earth chalked up the pH scale
your petals blushed a pinker hue.

The Emperor sensed his quest fail,
felt his remorse swell
for neglecting the most true.

The Emperor fed you eggshells,
coffee grounds and citrus peel
to turn you from pink to blue.

Lisa Kelly's first collection, A Map Towards Fluency, was published by Carcanet in 2019 and shortlisted for the 2021 Michael Murphy Memorial Prize. Her most recent pamphlet, From the IKEA Back Catalogue is published by New Walk Editions. She is the co-editor of an anthology of poetry and short fiction, What Meets the Eye, by Deaf and Hard of Hearing writers in the UK. She is co-chair of Magma Poetry.