I received this poem yesterday.  Later in the day I observed hibiscus growing wild in a wetland by the Braeburn marsh.  I was excited to return later, parking my vehicle in a nearby neighborhood then hiking over the wetland, dry now because of the summer drought.  The hibiscus were magnificent, glowing, saucer-sized gems in the afternoon sun.  Bees and insects of various types shared the blossoms with me.  These photos suggest the beauty, like a platter of nature’s after-dinner sweet treats…

August Invites

by Camille A. Balla

Just as mid-August is throwing hints
that summer is waning
with day-by-day earlier sunsets,
mornings that are beginning to cool,
stores displaying supplies for ‘back to school’,

those big happy faces pop out—
today, five of them as large as saucers—
three raspberry red; two white
etched in deep pink, bopping
in a welcoming breeze, beckoning me
to sip my tea in the garden,
have breakfast with hibiscus.

© by Camille A. Balla.

Camille A. Balla lives in suburban Chicago. The author of Simple Awakenings, a chapbook that spans the seasons of the year, her poetry has appeared in local and national publications as well as on the Internet and in greeting cards and gift items. Camille is a life-long learner whose interest in spirituality and personal growth inspires her poetry. Other interests include digital photography, creating greeting cards for family and friends, trying out new recipes, collecting inspirational and motivational quotes, and sharing her poems at ‘open mics’.