It is not the moon, I tell you. / It is these flowers / lighting the yard.
-- Speaker (Lines 1 – 3)

Importance: The first lines of the poem introduce us to the speaker's annoyed tone and direct address to the unnamed "you." They also introduce us to the flowers, which are immediately given the eerie power to light up the room, establishing the attention that the speaker is paying to them. We also get a sense that it is nighttime, with the reference to the moon. Though we may not be shown the significance yet, the first stanza provides us with key information moving forward.

I hate them as I hate sex, / the man’s mouth / sealing my mouth, the man’s / paralyzing body—
-- Speaker (Lines 4 – 7)

Importance: In these lines, we see the connection between the flowers and sex, and we begin to get a sense that they represent the speaker's central frustration (gendered roles and the lack of fulfillment...