Perennial Cornflowers

A large clump of perennial cornflowers is blooming on the corner of a quiet street. They tumble over the curb and poke through the sturdy iron fence that edges the yard. Unlike their wild cousins, the foliage is lush but the blooms are fragile, almost feathery with centers that remind me of pincushions. Looking straight down at them, I see a perfect example of radial symmetry. Each overlapping whorl of leaves leads my eye out and yet also draws me back in to the blossom. Blue, violet, black and white, the blossoms spread out in their own dance, one that is more delicate, but in harmony with the symmetry of the leaves