My daughter picked a piece of a dill flower in the garden today, then noticed her sprig was a miniature version of the whole. Curiously inspecting, she saw the symmetry reflected again in a smaller blossom-within-a-blossom.

For the longest time, my child examined that flower, wondering how tiny flowers could be. Down to molecules? she asked.

Forget those high school chemistry drawings and imagine this: molecules in the shape of flowers.

Maybe a little summer boredom isn’t such a bad thing….

Before the white chrysanthemum
the scissors hesitate
a moment.

– Yosa Buson

West Woodbury, Vermont