Plant

And now, for our daily (optional) prompt! Begin by reading Sayuri Ayers’ poem “In the Season of Pink Ladies.” A pretty common piece of writing advice is that poets should know, and use, the precise names for things. Don’t say flower when you can say daisy. Don’t say bird when you mean a hawk. Today’s challenge asks you to write a poem that contains the name of a specific variety of edible plant – preferably one that grows in your area. (That said, if you’re lacking inspiration, online seed catalogs provide a treasure trove of unusual and charming names for vegetables, fruits and flowers. Here’s one to get you started.) In the poem, try to make a specific comparison between some aspect of the plant’s lifespan and your own – or the life of someone close to you. Also, include at least one repeating phrase.

Beneath the surface
In wet dirt
Roosters lie waiting
Next to dark Kerrs Pinks
And buried British Queens

They lie and wait
for the warmth of pot
and then flower on dinner plate

Showing me
That flowering
Comes at end of day
even late at night
after great patience
and shedding of skin 
and careful avoidance of blight