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.