Lesser Celandine

It seemed to me that the smiles that lovely

Sunday morning were inspired by

The bright yellow blanket of …buttercups??

The velvety, golden flowers, after a long, dreary March,

Shone like the very essence of Spring’s promise.

The generosity of Nature and the hope of Renewal !

Then, kneeling  in the middle of a lovely patch of these dazzlers, 

Teresa wiped her forehead with soil-soaked gloves and

Told me about Lesser Celandine, or Ficaria verna, or pilewort…

An invasive species, toxic to human and animal life,

And the certain predator of all the hope of Spring to come.

Oh, how nature reminds us…sometimes… to beware

The bright and shiny!