Only the Perishable

Only the perishable can be beautiful, which is why we are unmoved by artificial flowers.

Note: Today is the birthday of the American poet, Wallace Stevens, who was born on this day on this day in 1879. 

Stevens grew up to be an insurance agent in Hartford, Connecticut, and he lived across the street from Elizabeth Park, which contains one of the three largest rose gardens in the country on 102 acres of incredible beauty.

You can tell from much of his poetry that Stevens was a lover of nature and gardens.
Thus, Wallace was an insurance man by day and a poet by night.