September Garden

The magenta petals of cosmos
surround a circle 
of starry stamens
like an Elizabethan ruff
of pleated silk.
They are a beacon 
to bees and butterflies,
now in a delirious frenzy
to gather every particle of pollen
before the petals drop
and summer’s bounty
fades into memory.

Draft, © Catherine Flynn, 2023

Please be sure to visit Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm for the Poetry Friday Roundup.