I have known Margaret Fabrizio, both virtually and in the real world, for fourteen years, and in that brief period of her life I have come to admire and respect her for her many accomplishments, as well as for her determination to take all (and more) of what life has to offer.

Margaret is a classically trained musician, with skill as a concert harpsichordist, who went on to become accomplished in many aspects of art, including quilting. Upon learning of kawandi, quilts of a unique style crafted by Siddis who are descendants of African slaves in India, eleven years ago, Margaret traveled to India to learn their technique. With her experience in various media, she brings her own unique style to kawandi, and in her nineties she has gained recognition for the quality of her work. This short haiku series is my gift to a dear friend on her birthday.

Hanakatoba is the Japanese form of the language of flowers (floriography), in which the meanings of particular flowers are meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to the recipient or viewer without needing the use of words. I’m a poet. I’ve put it into words.

Hanakatoba for Margaret

as magnolia blooms
countless works of art take form
music to the ears

many colored walls
with dedication to craft
red tulip opens

true recognition
crown of a chrysanthemum
sunflower bows down

as the years go by
friendship across many miles
meadow of bluebells

Flowers key to this series, and their meanings (per Wikipedia):

magunoria      magnolia      success
chūrippu      red tulip      fame
kigkiku      chrysanthemum      imperial
himawari      sunflower      respect, radiance
burūberu      bluebell      grateful

Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Langage des Fleurs (Language of Flowers), by Alphonse Mucha