I held a Jewel in my fingers — Jewelweed

I held a Jewel in my fingers－¹
And went to sleep－
The day was warm, and winds were prosy－
I said "'Twill keep"－

I woke－and chid my honest fingers, ⁵
The Gem was gone－
And now, an Amethyst remembrance
Is all I own－

(F.261/J.245)

[1] Jewel:: jewelweed, or touch-me-not.
[4] keep:: the flower to remain in her fingers.
[6] Gem gone:: alluding to the burst of jewelweed's seeds when ripe.
[7] Amethyst:: a purple jewelweed.

It is called touch-me-not, because if you touch the pericarp, or seed-bag, when the seeds are ripe, it will immediately burst and scatter the seed. It is indigenous. But there is another touch-me-not, sometimes called snappers, which is an exotic. This is cultivated in flower-gardens, and has white or purple flowers. ─ The Child's Botany (1832)