Honeysuckle and Privet Hedge

On our Sunday morning wander,

we walked along the timbered trail;

when suddenly I stopped to smell.

Eyes closed, I stopped to ponder,

a heady perfume in the air.

What tantalizing scent hung there?

Inhale…

Exhale…

Memories flowed on fragrant breezes.

With scented wind I was carried

back to innocent childhood days.

White and yellow flowered bouquets,

gathered so my face could bury

in nose-tickling, sweet perfume,

the tendrils twined within privet blooms.

I’d pluck,

then pinch,

taste nectar’s drop upon my tongue.

Sweet memories formed by fragrant

honeysuckle and privet hedge

found along the timbered trail’s edge.

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I know some people consider honeysuckle and privet hedge to be a hindrance in the garden. They can be invasive and take over if allowed to, but I can't imagine spring without their wonderful scent wafting through the air. 

I can remember laying across my parents' bed, with their south-facing window wide open allowing the perfume of the privet bush right outside to fill the room. It is one of my favorite aromas and always takes me back to childhood. And, it never seems to fail, wherever there is privet hedge, honeysuckle is always somewhere close by. The two together flood the backyard with an intense fragrance that I wish I could bottle to enjoy in winter!

Who among us hasn't pinched off a bloom and slowly pulled it away to taste that singular drop of honeysuckle clinging to the "string"? I know adults that still can't fight that temptation at least once during the season. :-)

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Lord of Nature - You amaze me! I praise You for all the wonderful things you have surrounded us with that seduce the senses of man. . .Even the simple honeysuckle flower with its hidden drop of nectar to taste. The smell of it combined with the heady perfume of privet, brilliantly intoxicating, Father!  Help me to take more time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, God, and to always share them with others. ~ Amen