This poem is written in the form of a tanka, which is a type of Haiku with more lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable scale. It tells the story of the Peony the plant of Healing and symbolizes life and prosperity.
It is named after the healing deity Paeon who is known for treating the olympians’ Hades and Ares after battles. Paeon who was instructed by Leto (a titan and mother of the sun and moon twins, Artemis and Apollo) to find the magical root that grew on Mt. Olympus, which would soothe the pain of women in labour. Asclepius threatened to kill Paeon and Zeus in attempt to save Paeon changed him into a flower. The flower’s seeds are known to have been used by pregrant women back in the ancient times.