7th Annual Southern Oregon Poetry Award, Second Prize, 2012
As I drive toward
the Oregon coast
a sign by the road
pulls me: Darlingtonia fen
Footsteps crunch chips
in pine-scented woods
rustle of leaves
bird whistles
coo-coo-ca-too
Pitcher plants proliferate
sucking flies to
their final meal
drawn by musky scent
to a poisonous stew
of mesmerizing liquid
Cobra lilies lie in wait
caped carnivores in
silent reverie of death
trap bugs in lazy languor
Sun filtered shadows
cross my path
as insects buzz
around hooded hosts
silently awaiting their prey
I walk though misty forest
curious at the play of life and death
in oasis of carnivorous plants
insects dance, drown
humans observe, move on
©2011 Julian Spalding
No wonder we both walk the Greenway! It’s clear that you love nature as much as writing.
In turn, I’ll share a haiku about a fence you’ll surely recognize:
Together
Old split-rail fence
moss topped
barely there in thick fog
but we’re longtime friends.