The rose bowl

The roses are looking perfect so,

dodging the showers,

go out with your secateurs and gather a few.

Arrange them in the beautiful silver rose bowl

you bought from Liberty & Co

in 1908.

Pose in your best medieval gown for

John William Waterhouse

and suggest he calls it,

'Gather ye Rosebuds while ye may,' 

because carpe diem is your motto

and Robert Herrick is all the rage now.

When your arms start to ache with holding them up

for such an age

and the petals have started to drop,

pop them down on a table,

(Constance Walton wants to paint a lovely watercolour)

pull up a chair,

and make some pot pourri.

Herbert James Draper gave you the idea in 1897.

Here is the recipe.