Along the green-lined winding trail, a color splash:
three Douglas irises, lavender blue,
each composed of three upright petals,
and three down-curved sepals
with a style crest on top
protecting the style and stamens.
Thin maroon veins over a yellow-to-white spot decorate
each sepal, guide bumblebees down the narrow space
where they gather nectar, collect or deposit pollen.
The flowers stand out against a groundcover
of glossy heart-shaped leaves of false lily-of-the-valley,
rise amid their own sword-shaped leaves.
With a shell, Native Americans stripped from each
the single most external fiber, scraped it clean.
Silk-fine and steel-strong, woven into rope.
Evolution led to this delicate trail-side trio of deities,
tale of spring on this ocean-shaped land.
A photo the only thing I take.
I pray for a future of colors,
still, in this world
we're graying out without rest.
-Simona Carini
Simona Carini was born and grew up in Italy. She writes poetry and nonfiction (memoir, food, the outdoors). Her first poetry collection "Survival Time" was published by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions (2022). She lives in Northern California with her husband, loves to spend time outdoors, and works as an academic researcher. https://simonacarini.com
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