THE GIRL WHO TALKED TO PRIMROSES To be indifferent to people Was her need and choice And when her mother wanted her To join the party sing-song She ran crying behind the piano; Hollyhocks, sweet pea and mallow Were too authoritarian and tall; Pansies and violets might have made Suitable reticent confederates; But choosing primroses instead, She bent down beside a hedgerow And blurting out her secrets, Listened for the answering fragrance Of a silent voice. -- Maureen Charlton, "Duet For Two Dubs," Swan Press 1997.