Purple Poppy
Our milky blood is in demand,
For making dreamy drugs,
Our flowers grow o’er all the land,
We’re sought after by thugs.
Downy Woodpecker
My feathers are scruffed up today,
The breeze has teased them ’round,
I guess what I am trying to say,
I feel like “lost and found.”
But take a look here at this roof,
It’s old and quite a mess,
It’s seen some weather, see the proof,
It’s ratty, I confess.
In soft, old wood I find a bug,
For when I want to eat,
It only takes a good quick tug,
To spear it nice and neat.
Hollyhocks
I don’t know if any of you followed Barb Beacham’s blog “Life in the Foothills,” but I got to know her a little bit through her posts. Way back, more than ten years ago, she sent me seeds of these hollyhocks from plants in her yard in California, which I planted in my garden here on Vancouver Island. Sadly, Barb died of cancer in November of 2015, but her hollyhocks live on and I think of her each year as I watch her flowers bloom. She had a great sense of humour and I admired her creative writing. I still miss her.
The hollyhocks are strong and fine,
They bloom so straight and tall,
They like to stand up in a line,
And stay until it’s fall.
The flowers are like megaphones,
But silently they stand,
They like a group, but standalones
Do fine and look so grand.
Blue Grouse
I should be way up in the hills,
But it’s still cold up there,
The snow was giving me the chills,
I’m here for finer fare.
And anyway, I’m on a search,
To find a lovely mate,
She can’t just leave me in the lurch,
That cannot be my fate.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums live on and on ,
With minimum of care,
They’ll bloom long after we are gone,
With memories to share.
- This particular chrysanthemum was blooming on my mother’s deck. I brought it home to live with me after my mother died in 1982. It’s still going strong. Amazing plants, aren’t they?
Eurasian Collared Dove – Bird Talk
Just wait! I’m bringing you a snack,
It’s really tasty corn,
If it’s not good I’ll take it back,
As sure as you were born.
Oh wait! Don’t run away so quick,
You’d think I want a date,
I like you, but it’s not a trick,
If you would only wait.
Well, look at me, I’m such a man,
You’ll see what I can do,
I’ve learned to dive because I can,
And all this, just for you.
Can you believe this guy up there?
He must be simply nuts,
But on the other hand I swear,
He’s got a lot of guts.
Sunflowers
Be happy and be full of cheer,
My sunny petals say,
The bee is giving me no fear,
He comes here every day.
And when my petals dry and fall,
My seeds have tasty crunch,
They seem to be the dinner call,
For little birdies’ lunch.
*See the chickadee in the middle photo and the nuthatch in the bottom one.
Flicker
From up here in the walnut tree,
I keep you in my sight,
I’m pretty sure you won’t hurt me,
But then again, you might.
The sun is warming in the spring,
But if it gets too hot,
The leafy tree is just the thing,
For all the shade it’s got.
Oriental Poppy
I come from Turkey and Iran,
But live in other places,
I bloom as early as I can,
Put smiles on many faces.
wordsfromanneli 