Tiger Lilies

The first day of June,
tiger lilies splash
orange juice across
the mountain roadsides.

The first day of June,
a wild turkey struts
through my front yard
and bathes in sunlight.

The first day of June,
bluebirds lift praise songs
in the poplar trees,
an azure sky watching.

The first night of June,
fireflies flicker like lanterns,
Queen Anne's lace spins doilies,
a Monarch butterfly sips nectar.
             --Brenda Kay Ledford

A Wildlife Sanctuary

A wild turkey
high steps through the rain,
his head bob, bob, bobs.

A funny creature,
he circles my backyard
past two brown bunnies

jumping over each other.
A groundhog wobbles
by the knockout roses,

two babies trailing her.
Five deer appear like ghosts
and nibble verdant grass.

Fog lifts from the mountains,
fireflies flicker high in poplar trees
and put on a night show.
       --Brenda Kay Ledford