Calliandra eriophylla
Fairy duster
Christine Baines
Absurd in their little fringed skirts shaking
salsa with the wind. So flash. So
flirtatious, strutting their wares. Kiss Me
Pink. Desert Night Red more florescent
than any lipstick and the bees
dive right in, sip enchantment.
Come late summer there’s that soft crackling sound,
pods explode, seeds shoot out everywhere
tickling the fancy. The audacity of it!
Tarty little plant, flicking those skirts,
flinging those seeds. Wah hoo!
~~~~~
Christine Baines has won several awards including the Dartington Prize (Penguin Press, London) and Style Magazine award for fiction. Her work has appeared in several journals and publications including CrossConnect, Dreamsville, Yes, I Like That Poem and Messages From the Heart. She was Poet in Residence at University of Yerevan, Armenia.