Insects, Flowers
We posit getting there. We posit a there that is nothing like here. – Matt Mauch
I watch the fog lift in brief glances,
dragonfly silhouetted against the screen.
Once the garden dew dries, I harvest basil,
trusting that if I display indifference
the bees won’t sting. I don’t believe
their giddy frenzy can feel like work.
A goldfinch bobs on a zinnia stem,
its feet gripping as it pecks out tiny seeds.
A child, upon meeting a flower
will do one of many things, depending
who she is. Perhaps she’ll sniff
or grab at the petals, pat it, or push it away.
If she’s very young, she will recognize
the flower’s soul and press her ear
to listen. I want to love like that
rather than waiting.
Micki Blenkush is the author of Now We Will Speak in Flowers published by Blue Light Press. She was selected as a 2017-2018 fellow in poetry for the Loft Literary Center’s Mentor Series program and is a 2015 & 2019 recipient of grants awarded through the Central MN Arts Board, funded through the McKnight Foundation. Micki’s writing has appeared in numerous journals including: Josephine Quarterly, Typishly, Cagibi, and Crab Creek Review. She lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota and works as a social worker. mickiblenkush.com
See more of her work in 3.1 and 4.3 and 5.2 and 6.1 and 6.3 and 7.2 and 9.1 and 9.1 and 9.1