Black-Eyed Susans
The Sirens of Route 101
(From news report – Epping, NH: Plantings in
median of Highway 101 snarls traffic.)
In between eastbound
and westbound we flourish.
As traffic whizzes by,
we take life in slow motion,
imperceptibly follow the sun
across the late summer sky;
festooned with brilliant petals
that surround our dark hearts
where seeds slowly ripen.
We entice the bees
then lure chickadees
and finches with our bounty.
However, here on Highway 101
drivers, mesmerized by
our seductive beauty,
abandon their commutes
to commune with blossoms
as if some old song,
barely remembered, has called
them home, again.
Lainie Senechal
This poem was published in the journal Ibbetson Street #35, Spring 2014.
