“And so for nights // we waited, hoping to see // the heavy bud // break into flower.” —Robert Hayden, “The Night-Blooming Cereus” The first two times it bloomed I missed it. Twice, I returned home ...

I recently had the honor of being invited to what sounded like a “serious” little party. Actually, it was a “cereus” party, named for a night-blooming cactus. This party was called at the spur of the ...