Marigolds – a poem by M.J. Iuppa

Marigolds
 
Ruffles of bright orange and cinnamon,
you, marigolds, spun from a pinch of
seeds, grow in abundance in between
 
eggplants’ glossy purple, protecting
them with stenciled green leaves
like an armor worn close
 
to skin—the scent of rain,
the sight of monarchs,
the sound of bees.
 
No wonder I am mesmerized
by your tongues’ small fires
glowing with desire.
 
You are ancient medicine
in the time of women
whose faces mirrored the sun.
 

M.J. Iuppa’s fifth full length poetry collection The Weight of Air from Kelsay Books was released in September 2022; and, a chapbook of 24 100-word stories, Rock. Paper. Scissors., from Foothills Publishing in 2022.  For the past 33 years, she has lived on a small farm near the shores of Lake Ontario. Check out her blog: mjiuppa.blogspot.com for her musings on writing, sustainability & life’s stew.