Yard Classifieds, June
Sarah Ann Winn

I.

Wanted to Swap:
In or near flower garden, Akron, Ohio
Need Lessons – pollination, honey-making.
Prefer that you are certified. Duration – once a day,
five thousand flowers at a time until I get the hang of it.
Willing to trade one snare drum, slightly used,
or hour for hour humming lessons. You pick.

II.

Missed connections:
Last Summer, Saw you in neighbor’s bed of thousand leaf yarrow,
next to the sun dial.
Me: Burnt, shade-driven, grass prone.
You: Compact head, bead of black dew eyes, fuzzy
yellow striped cement mixer abdomen and matching thorax, ‘u’ shaped
birthmark on your forehead.

You were too busy to look up
from your scented barista to see me trying
to direct you over to my garden.
Your thorax and legs bustled with pollen,
and I tried to catch your eye,
but the breeze carried you off before
I could think of a good opening line. Where did you fly?
I’d like to introduce you to my orchard!

III.

For Rent:
One blossoming Baldwin apple tree. Prime location,
near lilac arbor. Pale pink walls and scent left by last tenant.
Furnished and richly appointed breezy rooms by the thousand,
perfect for the young up and comer! Rent negotiable.

IV.

Lost:
Valuable figure missing from Emily’s Reverie. If found, please
return to this summer. URGENT! Making the prairie without it proving
difficult. Too late for apology or apiology. Handle with care.

Sarah Ann Winn lives in Fairfax Virginia. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Apeiron Review, [d]ecember, Flycatcher, Lost River Review, Lunch Ticket, Massachusetts Review and Rappahannock Review, among others. Visit her at http://bluebirdwords.com or follow her @blueaisling on Twitter.

Image: Wikimedia commons