It’s Poetry Friday! Carol has the roundup today at Beyond Literacy Link where she talks about the art of summering. Be sure to stop by lots of poetry goodness.
My gardens have not been as abundant as they have been in past years. That is probably due to a combination of factors including weather and my gardening skills. But those factors might also include the midnight visitors who help themselves to Hosta leaves, hydrangea buds, and any variety of delectable blooms. Usually in late summer I have a good amount of black-eyed Susans, but this year I could find only one lone survivor.
Imagine my delight then to receive a poetry swap from Sarah Grace Tuttle that included a poem about a black-eyed Susan and a fantastical garden visitor.
Garden Visitor
by Sarah Grace Tuttle
In the bright yellow petals
of a black-eyed Susan
a tiny dragon curls,
purple scales glinting
around the tall, dark cone.
It licks drops of nectar,
humming in joy
like the most fantastic bee.
Inspired by Grace’s lovely poem, I wrote this tanka about my lone survivor:
Look Closely
one black-eyed Susan
lifts its head toward the light
to warm the dragon
hiding like a buzzing bee
within the dark cone center
Draft, RoseCappelli2025
Thanks for reading! Carol has the roundup today at Beyond Literacy Link where she talks about the art of summering. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
I always love a poetic conversation! Charming!
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Thanks, Tabatha. Responding to a poem often opens a door for me.
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Lenten roses are a new-found favorite!
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Look at this lovely exchange! Our black-eyed Susans come out in the fall. Still too hot. I love the metaphorical dragon that appears in both poems.
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Thanks, Margaret.
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Rose, both you and Sarah provided a wonderful poetic conversation with your poems. Sarah chose the dragon as a character and you folowed alongI( A tiny dragon curls – to warm the dragon) I always loved black-eyed Susans. This summer a strange fly annoyed my beautiful magnolia trees. I did look closely for his visit ito my garden.but I could not see the pesty bug.
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I hope your magnolias didn’t sustain too much damage, Carol.
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Being a dragon lover, this poem couldn’t be more perfect for me! Delightful.
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Thank you!
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There is a most visible connection between these poems of different form, Rose. Celebrating the symbiotic relationship of nature’s gifts.
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Thank you, Alan.
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I’m usually on the lookout for sneaky weevils in my cone flower/black-eyed Susan patch. The kind that leave flower heads sawed off at the stem. I’ve been super vigilant this summer and I hope I’ve intercepted enough of them before they fall to the soil to reproduce that there will be few or none moving forward. Which frees me up to start looking for dragons!!! 🙂
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You never know what you might find, Mary Lee!
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Love this, Rose! Sarah tuned in to your gardens, for sure. My black eyed Susans are slow to bloom this year. I do have lots of buds though. Glad you had inspiration from the swap.
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