Polkadot Princess Ladybug hides
her wings beneath
crimson shields.
Spice bush sage is born purple,
but its color soon
hides under green.
They both hide their inner
colors from view.
Like us, humans.
We hide behind masks,
whether we fly
or stay rooted.
Copyright 2017 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: This ladybug visited my herb garden a few weeks ago. She left no calling card. Thanks to Kiesha Shepard, educator and poet, for hosting Poetry Friday this week at her site, Whispers from the Ridge.
68 thoughts on “Ladybug and New Sage”
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Friendly Fairy Tales 
Marvelous!😎🌹
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Thanks!
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Inspiring! And we do:)
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Yes, masks are key to our culture, aren’t they?
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Or maybe even to our nature;)
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Polkadot princess. How cool!
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Thanks, Toni!
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What a fabulous ladybug photo and your poem is perfect! It’s true humans hide their true colors — 🙂
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The hidden colors are the most interesting. 🙂
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We found a ladybug in the house a couple nights ago… now that was a surprise! Especially because I haven’t been seeing any outdoors. Love your thought-full poem, Brenda.
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Thanks, Michelle. I wonder how your ladybug wandered indoors. Perhaps she wanted a cup of tea. 🙂
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Nice! An ode to hidden beauty!
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Thanks, Mary Lee!
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Brenda, in such a small space, you captured the essence of human nature. From nature to humans you brought us to a reflection on who we are and what we do. The photo is just fabulous.
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Thanks, Carol. I love how the sage came out in the photo, putting the focus on the green that keeps us alive with our oxygen.
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Your photo is beautiful. Love the texture on the sage leaf. The deeper lesson you drew from your whimsical observations of nature is thought-provoking.
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Thanks, Violet. Sometimes the person we’re hiding from is ourselves.
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I love the turn in this poem – from the small to the the universal. Beautifully done.
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Thanks, Tara.
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It looks like the ladybug is walking across a plush green-velvet rug. A lovely photo and poem as usual, Brenda! And it’s so true what you wrote about wearing masks. Thank you for sharing!+
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Thanks, Kiesha!
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Love those Polkadot Princesses! I should go buy some and set them free in our area. They are such good little bugs! I remember, as a child, the first time I saw one fly away – what a surprise it was!
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Thanks, Donna. They are magical when they suddenly raise their red shields and fly, aren’t they?
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Brenda, that photograph is stunning! I can’t wait to share with my photographer-son. (He loves textures.) And your poem! Yes, we do hide, don’t we? A book I love is THE BOOK OF AWAKENING by Mark Nepo. Your poem reminds me of it. Our biggest task is to be ourselves in this world, which means to share and not keep hidden away. I am inspired by your ladybug today! Thank you. xo
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Thanks, Irene. I was happy how the photo showed the color and texture of the sage so well, but a little disappointed the ladybug was a little blurry. I agree that showing ourselves makes life richer and more colorful. Yet our masks add something, too. A polish, a shine, a fragrance of flowers that we might not otherwise have.
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Great pics!! Happy weekend Brenda😊
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Thanks. You, too!
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Beautiful … Thanks for stopping by my pages.. it’s wonderful to read your poems.. inspiring..
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Thanks!
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Love that polka dot princess–and I learned something new about ladybugs and sage hiding their secrets. Thank you!
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I was amazed the first time I saw a ladybug fly. I knew there was a poem in that moment, but it waited until I saw the ladybug on my sage. 🙂
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I’m headed to the garden center this weekend for a container of “polka dot princesses” as the aphids have arrived. They are my only hope to rescue my lupines. They are small, but mighty! Don’t you love the texture of sage? Delicious!
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You can buy ladybugs? I never knew. I am worried about aphids, too, but I hope my ladybug will defend my roses.
Sage is delicious in fresh soup. Along with thyme and parsley. I love growing herbs. My thyme was green all winter, so rare.
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Yes! Lady Bugs at major garden centers in coolers. Sprinkled around the garden after sunset and no rain in sight. Works wonders!
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I’ll have to try it.
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Joy and depthe bundeled in a small poem. Great Post.
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Thank you!
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Your poem shows a close examination of both the real and the hidden, Brenda. I enjoyed the subtlety of it, plus the photo is awesome!
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Thanks, Linda! I was surprised with what came from one photo. 🙂
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What a sweet little garden visitor, and so helpful in our gardens, too! Tiny little treasures.
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Yes, always happy to see ladybugs on my roses.
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I love the idea of hiding….emerging…it is all so mysterious in plain sight.
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Thanks, Linda. Lots of mystery in nature to keep us wondering and marveling. 🙂
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Love the poem and the photos and the truth contained in each.
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Thanks, Cindy! 🙂
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
AND THE LADYBUG…WILL IT BE “HERON-PECKED” WHEN IT GETS OLDER??? 🙂
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LOL The heron would never stoop to pecking ladybugs! 🙂
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Instead of a tiny dish…the heron prefers to fish! 🙂
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The heron doesn’t get unless his toes are wet.
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How true that is!
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What a great poem and I liked your ending a lot too 🙂
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Thanks!
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So beautiful they are! “Polkadot princess”- aptly said… 🙂
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Thanks, Maniparna!
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Brenda , how do you copyright your poems ?
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I put my copyright and date at the bottom of each poem.
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But how do you do that ?
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I just type it in there. On every post. I guess I’m not sure what you mean.
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Fun word play, in your layered poem Brenda–I’ll have to work on the flying part I’d love to do that. Wonderful image too!
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Thanks, Michelle! I need to try flying more, too.
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wonderful and i love their color and textures
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Thanks, Beth!
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A total delight…new blog Brenda…https://houseofheartweb.wordpress.com/
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Sorry to hear you were hacked!
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Thanks Brenda. It’s very disturbing!
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I hope your new blog is safe.
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Me too!
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