I have a friend who owns an unusual flower shop in Paris. Even for the most common flower, she will find specimens that I have never seen before: wild, exotic, eccentric, originally displayed. On one occasion, I saw these poppies in the window. Perched on their spindly stems, the disproportionately large flowers seemed to dance precariously, the vivid coloring of the petals in their various stages of openness enhancing their fragility.