Someone thinks of a colour. I divine the colour while reciting this poem by Cicely Mary Barker and cutting a flower from tissue paper. The poem was written in 1944 and it perfectly fits this performance.

Early in the mornings,

when children still are sleeping,

Or late, late at night-time,

beneath the summer moon,

What are they doing,

the busy fairy people?

Could you creep to spy them,

in silent magic shoon,

You might learn a secret,

among the garden borders,

Something never guessed at,

that no one knows or thinks:

Snip, snip, snip, go busy fairy scissors,

Pinking out the edges

of the petals of the Pinks

Pink Pinks, white Pinks,

double Pinks, and single,—

Look at them and see

if it’s not the truth I tell!

Why call them Pinks

if they weren’t pinked out by someone?

And what but fairy scissors

could pink them out so well?

Cicely Mary Barker–The Pink Fairies

I discovered this poem when reading a book to my daughter. We get to the last few pages and after a day of practicing cutting these flowers this particular poem just jumped out at me. Scissors, flowers and fairies.

It’s amazing how many moments of inspiration can happen if you’re open to noticing them. It’s as if they’re just there waiting to be found.

If the ideas are just there it makes me feel like a thief or a fraud. But when it happens what a wonderful feeling it creates.

I only hope that people feel that same feeling when I put the verse, magic and cutting together.

Written by Kristien Harris