The laureate poet, Simon Armitage, published his tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in the form of a new poem, after his death on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
“Floral Tribute” mentions one of the queen’s favorite flowers, the Lily of the Valley. They appeared in their wedding and coronation branches.
Tribute
The night will arrive, however, determined in the afternoon,
Limas and oaks in its last green blush, pearly in September.
I have conjured a lily to illuminate these hours, a show of thanks,
Soft glow zones and auras framing the bright balloons.
A promise made and maintained for life, that was your gift,
Therefore, here is a gift in return, glovewort some,
Each bright hood protected by stern leaves as a spear.
The country loaded its whole being in its thin hands,
Hands that can rest, now, relieved or the weight of a century.
The night has come. Rain in black lakes and dark munos.
Lily of the Valley, an almost homonym, a favorite flower
Intertwined with their famous branches, the restricted
Zeal and blunt grace of its flashlights, each inflorescence
A silent bell that disguises a unique voice. A new blurred day
Breaks without crowning in remote peaks and public parks, and
Everything ignites these luminous petals and deep roots,
This lily that thrives between needle and tree, whose brightness
He holds and shines beyond the life and edge of his flowering.
