What did the iris learn
as its bloom browned
and became thin as paper
before falling? 

The iris is not dead.
The swordplay of the leaves
goes on. If anything
they’ve grown longer.

Almost summer now
and no shade
other than green
in the border of the yard

where the irises grow.
Nothing other than green
to draw in the casual eye.
One might say

the irises have become background. 
From the annual brief riot of purple 
they learned to thrive, to be here
no matter who sees them,

to trust in a future
where they will bloom again
even after their superficial charms
have failed to endure.