Epigraph: Plants

[sythyry]

Mirrored from Sythyry.

The seven sacred plants of Hanija are these sacred plants:

1. Green Spirit Grass: whose clean fragrance and pervasive growth embodies the modest dignity of the common classes.
2. Japuti Persimmons: whose astringent sweetness embodies the subtle contradictions at the heart of every true Hanijan soul.
3. Yobajo: whose pleasantly-sweet grain makes the best beer.
4. Axacanthus: whose fire-spell-enhancing properties allowed the early warriors to conquer the lands that became Hanija.
5. Spiny Cranberry: this is the most sour of all fruits that are eaten in Hanija, and the most troublesome to husk by reason of getting its spines and hooks embedded deep in the flesh at the tips of the fingers. It cannot be eaten raw; it must be cooked and sweetened with honey and ginger. Then it becomes a strong condiment, and one that must be eaten with great care. One drop of spiny cranberry syrup makes the blandest bowl of cereal into an basket of delight and flavor. Yet six drops make it too strong, and few are strong enough to eat of it. In this way it is like love. Outside of the proper social conventions, love is the most sour, and, when one attempts to grasp it, it embeds its spines and hooks deep into the reputation, from where they cannot quickly or easily be extracted. Yet with the honey of governmental approval and the ginger of public ritual, it becomes a strong flavor. A single spouse makes even the blandest life into a basket of delight and good-conduct. Yet six spouses and tofyofs are too many, and few are strong enough to endure so much love.
6. Ether Lilies: The celestial iridescence on the blossom of the ether lily is the floral embodiment of the polychromatic grace of the noble classes.
7. Spearmint: for the ease of its cultivation and the deliciousness of its use in tea and ices.

Comments

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

So, governmental approval makes love less poignant. Then peels off its skin and crushes it into a paste.

"If I was a popsicle, what would you do to me?"
"Well, first I'd take off your wrapper... then I'd press you against the counter and break you in half."

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

.... isn't that the other way around... you break the Popsicle in half, then take off the wrapper. You don't make sticky messes that way.


.... why does my spellchecker insist on capitalizing popsicle?

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Cause its Popsicle brand frozen treats, of course!

[terrana.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's a genericised trademark? That certainly explains why I never heard the term anywhere except on American TV programmes. For years, I couldn't work out what it actually meant.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

8. Hanijan Wretchweed: This noxious weed is only useful to healers, who can boil it down into a powerfully emetic tincture. In this way it is like government propaganda, for it makes me want to vomit.