Mystery of the Missing Nasturtium

Yesterday the first nasturtium blossom of the season
burst forth. A glorious, mind-bending, glow-in-the-dark,
fire-breathing dragon, hot, sassy orange
that surely could have been seen from space.
A color so vivid and pure that all the petunias
bowed their heads in its presence as it waved
a cheery hello to those who passed by.
A bloom so intense and perfect not even Monet
could have captured its beauty on canvas.

This morning at first light and armed with
the caffeine-infused elixir that allows my eyes to open
I went to my balcony to pay homage to the newly crowned queen of my tiny garden.
To sit quietly in the coolness and admire this
shining little jewel that had appeared so suddenly.

But wait! What the....? Who would dare to....?
My caffeine over-stimulated mind reeled!
There was nothing! Nada!
Not a single petal remained!
Just a long, bare, barren stem poking forlornly
from the foliage

A squirrel! It must have been one of those furry pigs!
I'll catch him! I'll catch him and slash open his rat-fink belly
to free my princess! I'll hack his body into pieces and....
Hold on here. Get a grip, oh mind of mine...
Squirrels don't like nasturtiums. They taste too peppery
That's why you planted them in the first place, silly.

So I sat, heavy hearted, bemoaning the loss of my beautiful flower
When out of the corner of my now-open eyes I spied a bird
The lady flicker who comes to my feeder was perched
on the rim of the pot of nasturtiums--just sitting,
turning her head this way, then that.
Hopping to the other side, repeating the ritual.
As she flew away, my gaze followed her.
I could only contemplate how beautiful she was.
What a lovely surprise on this early morn......
Wait a damn minute!!!! What's that I see
dangling its limp and tattered body
over the edge of your nest? You thieving little..........

copyright Anna Stephens