Today, I’m sitting under the pergola near ferns,
Bangalow palm and violet Polygala. There is little

grass as this is a paved courtyard. I’ve decided not to
read or write. Instead I’m studying the flora and fauna

of my plot under the white eyebrows of clouds, much
like Wordsworth did when he wandered lonely as a

cloud. Except I do not feel alone. A mumbling sound
can be heard in the small blossoms of an exquisite

Polygala (also known as Polygama or Milkwort).
Did she wander in, listening to the songs of birds?

Or is her busy tone the ravenous noise kittens
make when they’re lost and suddenly find food?

Or is this bee just visiting her outdoor market
testing each blossom before placing her choice

in a hessian bag at the back of her legs?
When my zoom lens moves in, she doesn’t

flinch or fly, but is perhaps dazzled by
the fizz of lilac before her lucky eyes.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL (c) 2024 – Pic by Helen Hagemann (if you look closely you’ll see the bee)