Goldenrod
_____________________________________
Often blamed for causing sneezes
By hurling pollen on the breezes
Bees treasure these late fall flowers
Drink its tea for its healing powers
Considered a weed by so many
This humble plant’s benefits are plenty
_____________________________________
Night Blooming Cereus
_____________________________________
Single bloom filled the evening greenhouse with its scent
*
Glowing in its aloneness among the many greens
Warmed by heater, cooled by ridge vent
*
Oh so regal, a true hot house queen
*
The fragrance designed to lure moths and bats
*
Night time flyers privileged to see the show
Too bad this ecosystem is ruled by thermostat
*
This bloom moths and bats will never know
_____________________________________
Paper Wasp on Goldenrod
_____________________________________
It’s always a surprise to see
Not sure why I’m surprised to see
Wasps fly from flower to flower
– – – – – I am not scared
Is it the lack of hair that scares?
Slick pollinators causing dread
It’s always a surprise, you see
– – – – – I am not scared
Simply observe, no one gets stung
Evil’s in the beholder’s eye
Marvel at nature’s keen brilliance
– – – – – I am not scared
_____________________________________
(A Baccresieze Poem)
Dipsacus fullonum
_______________________________________
With a purple tutu
Covering those sharp spines
Simultaneously
Attracting, repelling
Roadside weed, food for bees
*
Glistens with summer dew
Used to comb wool so fine
Grows spontaneously
Endlessly compelling
Now here from overseas
*
Armored dangerously
Growing and excelling
_______________________________________
First Day of Summer
_____________________________________
Under an umbrella of sunshine, white clover flowers rise above their own heart-shaped foliage amidst a green mat of linear leaves. They shudder in the warm gentle breeze, stopping only momentarily before vibrating again.
Bees visit flowers
Buzzing to bring life before
Mower buzzes through
_____________________________________
(A Haibun Poem)
In the Garden
_____________________________________
Peony
Bumblebee
Chickadee
Honeybee
Tree debris
*
Lima bean
Nectarine
Evergreen
Celandine
Hands not clean
_____________________________________
Trifolium pratense
_____________________________________
Improves the soil wherever it grows
Why call it a weed, I’ll never know
Lots of food for pollinating bees
Rabbits find it a delicacy
It is Vermont’s state flower
And known for its healing power
Great for butterflies, red clover.
_____________________________________
(A Septet Poem)
Night Fliers
_____________________________________
Flattened against the house wall
Moths appear on warming nights
Electric duping instinct
Hunkered under bright porch lights
*
Not dull or boring at all
Butterflies with evening flight
Flecked, ruffled each one distinct
Look closely, they will delight.
_____________________________________
A Picture and a Poem 