The Hens and Chicks wont believe the story 
of the time when the Butchers Broom
was used to sweep out Cupids Dart. 

Swept beyond the Toad Lilies and Turtleheads
the Cattails shook with dismay 
the Lambs Ear wouldn’t hear of it.
 
The Ostrich Fern reached to grab 
but not before the Sneezeweed 
used the Red Hot Poker. 

The Goat’s Beard followed 
behind the rascally Pussytoes
although there wasn’t Mushroom. 

Past the Humped Bladderwort
the Weeping Willow saddened 
by my Bleeding Heart. 

To hell with the little cherub 
and his Rose cheeks.

My stepmother would be so proud of this piece and all the use of goofy plant and flower names. She is an avid gardener and loves getting rooted so-to-speak with nature. In fact, both my grandmother’s, from my dad and stepmom, had very well tended gardens. Alice, will always be remembered for her green apple trees, rhubarb and strawberry patches. I can still remember the tiny yellow flowers of the soon to be cukes from Bertha’s garden, as well as beans and corn. Sitting here recalling these fleeting moments bring to mind the time I once got stuck in a tree on Bertha’s property when my cousin Holly and I would visit in the summer. Certainly one of two defining moments of my youth at Bertha’s. The second, overcoming my fear of the empty closets in the basement after Holly and I watched Stephen King’s It on vhs as preteens.

I digress down memory lane – isn’t that was writing is suppose to do! I can recall having the very same stream of thought when I wrote this poem in 2020. First, that my stepmom would love it, as well as my grandmother’s and then my time with my cousin. The original thought for this poem was to expand on bleeding hearts. Not necessarily the plant but in heartbreak and lost love. The love story I was chasing lost to the pandemic. A story for another time and once again digressing.

After thinking about bleeding hearts, which lead to weeping willows, the inspiration finally hit that there must be more plant life out there with unique names. A quick Google search and slowly the poem came together. I’m pretty sure it wrote itself because when I was done, like a piece of art, I stepped back and gasped! My initial thought was how fun is this poem! Additional inspo came from the divine timing that one of my good friends had just taken these gorgeous nature photos. Like grabbing a concept out of the great invisible conscious cloud and creating one of my favorite pieces to date. Just wait for other poem that was also inspired by my friend’s portrait photography.