texas royalty

Sister Lou Ella Hickman

August 25, 2024

just now

when i went out to the mailbox

i stopped to check the bottlebrush shrubs for bees

and there

in all its singular glory

a monarch

texas’ closest thing to royalty

flirting in the august heat

the red bristles are worn and small

yet

you still looked for a ration

hidden and sweet

Sister Lou Ella Hickman, OVISS is a former teacher and librarian whose writings have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. Press 53 published her first book of poetry in 2015 entitled she: robed and wordless. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017 and in 2020.