On this Earth Day, the #verselove prompt was inspired by a shower curtain with a map of islands. My own poem was inspired by a trip to the desert to get an up close look at the superbloom that has been all over the news here in California. It’s hard to take photos that capture the glory of the earth in bloom–and I’m not sure my words do either, but it was fun to try.

Earth Day Explosion

On an island

Of waterless land

Framed by mountains

Colors burst

Like fireworks

Yellows riot

While purples dance

In the warm dry breeze

Shy pinks peek

Reds stretch

Tickling a sky so blue

Eyes water

The desert demands  patience

Wait for water

For years if you must

And when it comes

EXPLODE

Show off

Invite the pollinators

Paint the earth

With a springtime

Superbloom