Subject: Topaz gem and chrysanthemum
Type: Birthday card
Postmark: Date handwritten on the card is 1909, but this card was never mailed. (Maybe hand-delivered?)
Text: “The Topaz rays display That you’ll be true and gay. Chrysanthemum thy flower Will give you many a happy hour. Thy Star with ray of gold A bright future doth unfold.”
Message: “From Theodore (indecipherable); Laura Swift”
When it comes to the poems on a lot of these cards, rhyming is the priority over meaning or even grammar. This poem is admittedly a little goofy. Still, I like this card a lot because it’s specifically for those born in November (like me!). It features the topaz gem, which is the November birthstone, as well as the chrysanthemum which is the November flower. (Who knew the months have flowers designated to them?)