Behold the marvelous wildflowers!
How they boldly carpet a sloping glen –
Our gift from Earth’s seasonal showers.
Hardly is the desert recognizable
Come March to an untrained eye when
Spring has announced herself in full
Except for occasional saguaros –
The perennial observers to this annual display –
Perched on the precarious ledge they chose.
Penstemon and globe mallow are in glee;
Even the palo verdes celebrate
By showering the ground with yellow confetti.
Categories:
penstemon, flower, march, spring,
Form: Rhyme
Gentle Earth, I beg of you –
Whisper to us the first sign of spring.
Annul this wintry despair
And a season of life anew, bring.
From the depths of Baja
Carry the warmth in upon a draft.
Poke the sunshine through grumbly clouds
And send it down as a gilded shaft.
Clothe the desert with the raiment
Of fleeting sheets of white rain.
Implore the wildflowers that they
Bestow upon us a fantastic display.
Help the button-face of the brittlebush
Peep over the dead, crumpled brush.
Bring forth the canyon penstemon.
Make the Mexican lime cactus flush.
With one quick stroke of rain
Paint the delicate creosote yellow.
Order the Engelmann’s cactus to raise
Their trumpets of fuchsia and blow.
Tempt forth the birds to sing – listen!
I beg, usher March in.
Categories:
penstemon, earth, march, nature,
Form: Rhyme
DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR
The river has run dry, its bed is empty sand.
Across the flower carpet’s dim and dusty land
Penstemon and brave little Brittlebush,
Expecting an inundation, stretch in a rush -
Spreading petals and leaves which their vast
Tapestry of color and life weaves - but they fast
Revert to survival tactics and retract petals in fear
Of the drought of the Sonoran summer each year.
......................................................
Note
The poem’s title is taken from Shakespeare’s HENRY IV PART ONE
Categories:
penstemon, summer,
Form: Couplet
SONORAN SUMMER
The river has run dry, its dripless bed is empty, and
Crossing the flower carpet dim and dusty, parched
Penstemon and brave little brittlebush,
Expecting an inundation, stretch in a rush -
Spreading petals and leaves which their wetted
Wilted tapestry of color weaves - but they fast
Revert to survival tactics and retract petals, in the
Yearly drought of the Sonoran summer.
.........................................................
Note.
The desert of Sonora, Mexico, is one of the driest in the world, making plant life there very uncertain.
Categories:
penstemon, flower, nature,
Form: Alliteration