Late-Summer Colors
Goldenrod lifts its yellow flame,
while Joe-Pye blushes, tall and bright;
native asters softly frame
the fields in blue and violet light.
Morning dew lays pearls in view,
each petal shines with silver-blue.
Coneflowers wear a rosy crown,
while purple ironweed brushes the sky;
chicory stars look softly down,
and snowy boneset rises nearby.
Black-eyed Susans face the sun,
with golden rays and centers deep;
marigolds glow, one by one,
where painted butterflies may sweep.
Monarchs drift on amber wings,
swallowtails sail through sunny air;
painted ladies dance in rings,
then rest on blossoms bright and fair.
Sunflowers tower, bold and high,
zinnias scatter colors bright;
cosmos nod as winds pass by,
and dahlias bloom in petals tight.
A hover fly tiptoes where golden seeds lie,
crossing the sunflower beneath the blue sky.
Bumblebees hum from bloom to bloom,
honeybees sip the clover sweet;
dusting gold through garden perfume,
they carry summer on their feet.
Spotted jewelweed, orange and small,
dances beside the shaded stream;
cardinal flowers, red and tall,
burn like sparks within a dream.
Hydrangeas fade from blue to green,
hardy hibiscus opens wide;
Rose-of-Sharon joins the scene,
with lotus floating at its side.
Blue vervain raises slender spires,
and every breeze becomes a song;
summer blooms with jeweled fires—
a rainbow garden all day long.
At sunset, crimson clouds unfold,
and every flower dims its light;
the garden glows in rose and gold,
then folds its colors into night.
