Floral Intrigue

Written By Amanda Barusch
A field of red and yellow tulips.

Don’t give your heart or bed to a tulip.

Early riser perhaps, but an elegant fraud,

its brief perfection and arrogant nod,

mask a sharp penchant for nasty gossip

and a stingy streak that cheats the poor bee

hungry for the sweet taste of pollen.

Some may find the geranium common.

Its generous bloom and bold greenery

leave little to the imagination.

But after all, Jefferson brought one here.

For sheer hardiness there isn't a peer-

just the blossom for a brand new nation.

Or, if affairs of the heart are a little bit hazy

Might I suggest you befriend a daisy?

Amanda Barusch

Amanda Barusch has worked as a janitor, exotic dancer, editor, and college professor. She lives in the American West, where she spends as much time as possible on dirt paths. She has an abiding disdain for boundaries and adores ambiguity. Amanda has published eight books of non-fiction, a few poems, and a growing number of short stories. Aging Angry is her first work of creative non-fiction. She uses magical realism to explore deep truths of the human experience in this rapidly changing world.

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