Still Summer
A still Summer morning of muted sounds
a drowsy undertone of fiddling insects surrounds a rustle of leaves
a goldfinch darts then disappears in dense greens
sleepy daylilies have not yet stretched out their petals
nor shaken off their morning showers
before my Summer garden wakes fully draped in flowers
and Sun-warmed French lavender and Russian sage
mingle their perfumes while foxgloves engage the humming bees.
Now I might most hesitantly disclose
as blue bachelor buttons entwine with a scarlet rose
while Summer’s abundance seems paused before the Turn
and time still lingers under amber Sun
that Autumn’s ripening of apples and pears
forewarns the invasion of potted chrysanthemums.
—Suzan Osborn
Park Lane
