Sunflower Shining

Sunflower

Sun shines so bright,
She bows her head and squints.
As the summer fades,
Her petals wilt a bit, but
She is still aflame with color.
Sunflower drowses and dreams
Of golden days past.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Happy Fall!

Blooming Goldenrod

Goldenrod has grown long yellow fingers.
A crowd of eager mums are mid-laugh as
Hedgehogs nibble skunk cabbage.
Even white snakeroot,
Abloom at the wood’s edge,
Looks deceptively harmless,
But the deer leave it be.
Purple asters open wide, tiny but cheery.
Summer fairies line their beds with milkweed down,
Make quilts of hydrangea petals and
Dodge spiky, armoured chestnuts.
Dahlias bloom, large as dinner plates.

Purple Mums

 

Blooming White Snakeroot in MA

 

Blooming Purple Asters

 

Milkweed Seed

hydrangea blooming

 

Pink Dahlias in bloom

 

Happy Fall!

Note: The autumnal equinox is September 23, 2014, and this is the day summer changes to fall in the Northern Hemisphere, where I live in the USA. The earth is now tilting away from the sun and we will have shorter days and less warmth for 6 months.

Witchy Flowers Three

Yellow Echinacea

Wonderful witchy flowers
Vivid visions
Spread smiles
Sing in sunshine
Fascinate fairies
Enchant elves
Bewitch bees
Weaken my knees
Even the sky weeps
With longing

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Garden Bright Haibun

Zinnias and Dahlias

As my children go back to school, the last blooms of the season burst like fireworks. The heat rises, homework swells, plans churn and change. Each day brings new wonders and new opportunities.

Wandering far,
On the borders of beauty,
Seeing zinnias and dahlias,
Sprawling in full bloom,
I am in the garden bright.
Snow might be coming,
But not until another day.

The seasons change gently, day by day, beginning with red leaves interspersed with the green. Berries replace flowers, and the sun’s rays dwindle. The squirrels chatter, chase and hide acorns frantically. All around me is late summer, but the preparation for winter is nigh.

harvest tomatoes
canning sauce made with basil
winter is coming

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: A haibun is a Japanese form of prose interspersed with poetry, often culminating in a haiku.

Full Bloom

Peach Day Lily Bloom

Punch of peach,
Late summer bloom,
Labored year round,
For this shining moment
At the end of summer.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Happy Labor Day to all those in the United States!!

Note: This bloom is a daylily of a most unusual shade. It looks like a rose, doesn’t it?

Wild Morning Glory

Wild White Morning Glory

 

Wildflower
In deepest woods,
Climbing high,
Opening wide,
To kiss the sky.

This post is dedicated to Line at the Inscrutable Paths of the Spirit, who is trying to make the world softer.

Flower for a Friend

Rose of Sharon

Friends are like flowers.
They bloom, and they inspire.
They make the world beautiful.
We never forget.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: I dedicate this post to the memory of Ajaytao. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a bright light in our world, and his spirit continues to brighten our memories. He was a good friend to me, welcoming me here, and I will miss him. I feel blessed to have shared the world with him. Namaste, Brenda

Fairy Footprints

 

Golden pollen on a lily

fine golden dust
gilds the lily, draws wee folk
fairy footprints shine

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Scent of Morning

Rain on Lily Leaves

rain in the night
moist scent of lilies bathing
cool summer morning

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

White Lilies in the morning

Note: This post is dedicated to Bastet and Blog It, two haiku friends. It was inspired by Jen at Blog It’s Ghost Writer for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, for the scent prompt.

Fae Rose Fairy

Rose

With treacle, a radish and bee’s knees,
Fae Rose grew apricot roses with ease.
She turned away blight,
With joy and delight,
And her ladybugs gave aphids a squeeze.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: This poem is a limerick, rhyming AABBA.

Sunflower Bows

Sunflower

hazy heat dances
cello music sings from windows
sunflower bows

Note: This haiku was in response to the Carpe Diem Haiku prompt, Sunflower.

Moonflower

Clematis flower with beetles

Pretty moonflower,
Tattered and chewed,
Still you glow sweetly,
Each night renewed.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: I called this flower a moonflower, not because it’s the moonflower morning glory, but because it’s a flower I found glowing at twilight, under the moon. It’s a clematis. I hope my poetic license is up to date. 🙂