The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Wood, Karenne. Markings on Earth (The University of Arizona Press, 2001).

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

"The Lilies" by Karenne Wood was originally published in her 2001 collection Markings on Earth. The poem is technically composed of one stanza, but an indentation in line 15 makes the work visually appear as two stanzas. As an enrolled member of the Monacan Nation, Wood is known for writing about her people's experiences, struggles, language, and identity. Though the poet's Native heritage does not explicitly appear in "The Lilies," Wood has stated in interviews that she does not splinter different parts of her identity, both in writing and in her life.

Like many of Wood's poems, "The Lilies" demonstrates personal struggle and hardship. Experiencing oral cancer inspired her to write the poem, and its depictions of waiting for a diagnosis, dealing with treatment, healing, and contemplating mortality are universally relatable. By observing the growth of the lilies and metaphorically connecting them to her tongue and throat, the speaker identifies her own body with the earth.