In the Red Tulip

by Susan Condeff

In the red tulip
Grows love so deep and vibrant
Seeds of lust find you

Revelation

by Camille DeFer Thompson

Crimson petals yawn;
Reveal golden shades within.
Surprise the senses

Red Tulip

by Linda Todd

Six red petals sporting rays
Six stamens with seed filled anthers all male
One pistil sporting three-lobed stigma with pollen overflow
Add fertilizing power of wind, bees, and hummingbirds
Creates more tulips for us humans to adore.

Summer Tulip

by Jordan Bernal

Red and yellow rays
Tulip bursting with color
Lit with summer sun

Fireworks

by Diane Lovitt

Six points radiate
Golden yellow blends with red
Natures’ firework show

Seeing Red

by Patricia Boyle

It was my nineteenth trip out of the hive. With twenty more runs before I’d
be through for the day, I was in a hurry. Weighed down by nectar and pollen, I approached the tulip’s red bowl flying much slower than my record fifteen miles per hour. The petals’ vivid rays shouted “Perfection!” I could already smell the bee bread that other workers would make from the pollen. My proboscis extended reflexively when I brushed the tulip’s stamen, in anticipation of the sweet honey to come.

When I settled in to sip, the soft rays of the sun caressed my back. I took my time and soaked up the warmth. After a while a shadow fell on the petals as a cloud passed in front of the sun, and a cool breeze stirred my wings. I reluctantly headed home, flying low with my sticky burden. The shadow kept pace with me. Even in my drowsy state, I knew something was wrong.

Swooping around the trunk of an old oak, I turned to see what manner of cloud would follow me. My wings gave a violent lurch when I saw the menace that pursued me – no less than a Summer Tanager. Its beak gleamed in the sun; its bright eye held me in its gaze.

My only hope lay in the oak. I sped into the deep green foliage, angling higher and higher. I emerged from the crown, the red predator close behind. His open beak signaled my doom. My spiracles took in their last breath, and then the sharp cry of a hawk pierced the air. The Tanager veered away, diving into the oak’s thick greenery. Stunned at my luck, I sped for the hive, not once looking back to discover my enemy’s fate.

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