My petunias opened, cerise and purple
colors vibrant and rich
full of passion
But the caterpillar, that crawls at night,
chewing buds and petals until all that was left
were ruffle-edged holes
where color used to be,
is only white.
I wonder
What did he do with the passion?
Photo courtesy of Google Images: fhgardencenter.com/images/hanging/petunia.jpg
They can destroy everything!! So well written:)
Thanks. I guess this is what they mean when they say we should turn tragedy into poetry.
I could almost see the caterpillar drain the life and color from the petunias…
SO vividly written was your poem… LOVED it!
Right words make excellent poetry… And you’ve done it here!
Thanks. I’ve begun to think about all the colors I eat…and what do I do with that? Why just blame the caterpillar?
Right you are! We shouldn’t just be blaming the poor caterpillar… That’s how the food chain works. But human nature thrives on blaming any creature other than himself 🙂 One look within, and ideally, all that blaming should instantly stop!!
I think (s)he took the passion of the petunias and turned it into energy that will be stored up for cocoon making. In the end, (s)he will become a butterfly or moth and pollinate some more flowers. It’s a lovely thought though. I used to struggel with the idea of planting flowers…..if you can’t eat it, why bother? Was my mantra. I’ve swung to the flower side though. In fact, thinking of some back yard commercial flower ventures. Great concept and poem. Sue
of course – butterflies and moths – their whole raison detre is to make love – there’s the passion!! Thanks Sue, you’ve solved my mystery. 🙂
As for growing flowers, whether commercial or just for pleasure, don’t forget they are food for the bees and so many other insects and animals (deer, badgers, etc). You will become a beauty-grower, a pollen and nectar dealer, a connoisseur of passion-waste and seed-setter. That sounds just as exciting as veggies!!
I can be a bit too practical for a poetess at times.
I love the idea of that passion connecting us all.
Make love (art), create love (art).
Thanks for reminding me of that.
Just this spring we took on the stewardship of two bee hives. You should see the Cala Lilies and Delphiniums. A sight to behold. : )
Oh, I wish I could. I love bees, cala lilies and especially – most especially – delphiniums. Lucky you!
Next week I’m driving up to Whidbey Island and one of my friends has a luscious garden full of them. I can’t wait to soak in all that BLUE – and low clouds over whale misted islands, where eagle and raven weave the sky with their wings…
Bees know their stewards and if they stay, you are respected and blessed.
Good metaphor of how the daily grind can just take the color out of life… The end surprise is very fun.
EB
Glad you enjoyed it!
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love your blog so very much,
let me know if you want to join me or follow me,
awards are available…
Thank you, Jingle, for your very kind comments. You certainly have earned lots of awards from blogger fans, Well Done! I always like to read the work of other bloggers, always the ones who comment on my work, and often those who are listed on blog rolls of writers I enjoy. We are so lucky to have such a large community at our fingertips. While awards and lists of seven-things-about-me sound nice, I spend as much of my time as I can actually writing and reading. I guess you could put that on my list. Thanks for the invite, and loved reading your 55. Nice work!