Yellow Irises

She had planted them in a place they loved,

On the edge of the indefinite pond behind her house.

They rejoiced in their home,

Drawing abundant nutrients from the country muck, and

As spring approached they offered her their yellow blooms,

Hanging proudly on their tall green stalks.

All the while the irises were mining the mucky bank,

Extending their empire of green and yellow,

Pushing their stout rhizomes outward, ever outward.

In mid-summer the irises will stop their blooming.

Their tall green stalks will feed upon the sun,

Constantly extending their imperial underground empire.

--April 8, 2013