Zinnia elegans

for Becky

I think about her when the zinnias bloom,
when the sun forces sweat down my back
and the pansies are swapped out for celosias,
which my grandpa would plant as a large drift
of brilliant red, the spiky flames at the back
and the cock’s combs at the front.
The zinnias would be planted in a circle,
a button of summer’s magic in the middle
of the lawn, halfway between the house
and the row of tomatoes
that couldn’t be given away fast enough.
We’d help with the gardening,
getting in the way and picking the best blooms.

Written 13 August 1998 in Claremore, Oklahoma & 23 February 2020 in Payne County, Oklahoma.

Brian Fuchs, “Zinnia elegans” from Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Scissortail Press, 2020)

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