Saffron and Sexuality
Poems of play-love often feature descriptions of the purple or white crocus flowers in the opening stanzas. The stigma and style are delicate, almost looking like red thread. These threads are then pounded for dye or spice. This motion is believed to be similar to the act of tribadism, which is the core of the innuendo. Not to mention the motion of picking the threads, which can be done either delicately or roughly, tearing the petals. Saffron also has other properties that associate it with fleeting youth and beauty. The budding period only lasts for a couple weeks in the fall, far later than other crops. Upon budding, a flurry of people must harvest the threads by hand before they wilt in the midday. The scent is rich, astringent, metallic. It makes for good perfume and is sometimes scattered on bedsheets to freshen them up. Medicinally, it is used to treat stomach ailments. But is also believed to lift melancholy, delay the menstrual cycle and expel unwanted pregnancies. The dye, while potent, fades after several washes. The threads can also be used in paint or tossed in a bath to give the skin a golden hue.