(Final, 5/15/2024, 9x12, 300 dpi, 59,173 strokes)

The Bird and the Bees…of course

(Female Lesser Goldfinch with Yellow-faced Bumble Bees)

Just a few feet from our front door
a profusion of Russian Sage blooms.
Yellow-faced Bumblebees by the dozens
forage among the lavender blossoms.

They find sweet nectar
And carry pollen from one flower to the next.
A Lesser Goldfinch watches without bother,
too early for ripe seeds.

A week later there will be dozens
gathering the fall’s bounty,
playing their part
in next year’s promise.