The flowers I planted for the pollinators are loving all the rain we’ve been having. This one is called Red Hot Poker. Unfortunately, the stem weakened and it is now flopped over, but before that happened, I took this “portrait mode” photo.
I hope this invitation to write finds you in a place of peace. Please write a small poem in the comments and encourage others with your responses.
For each photo poem, I give myself a challenge. Today, I am trying a triolet. It is a poem of eight lines in which line one repeats in lines 4 and 7, line two repeats in 8. The rhyme scheme is abaaabab.
Red Hot Poker Triolet
Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.
Butterflies float to its wine.
Torch lily towers and shines.
Summer firecracker’s a sign:
sweet nectar steams like a jet.
Torch lily towers and shines
for the day will be hot and wet.
Margaret Simon, draft
Reflections on the Teche 
I love a good triolet! Those end rhymes are delicious with wine and shine. I’m going to challenge myself to think of a poem form to write about this flower as I do some housekeeping. I also love it when a poem keeps me from some of the kitchen clean-up that waits. Ha!
I love a good triolet, Margaret! Your line “Butterflies float to its wine” is very clever.
red hot poker plant
standing tall, attracting
fritillary friends
It is fun to see what a rhyme scheme can do to a metaphor.
Thanks for writing today. A striking haiku. I am hopeful for the fritillaries to come soon. The monarchs are here!
The heat has come back
strong and fierce.
In a vicious attack,
the heat has come back.
A savage pierce,
a vindictive whack.
The heat has come back
strong and fierce.
(And I do not like it at. all.)
I love “vindictive whack”. Such a fierce rebuttal to the heat.