Visitors

visitors come, all through the day,
when the sun is here, and I am away,
soft September, days are mellow,
bright brown eyes, lashes yellow,
over the woods, to the west explore,
maybe a mile, likely more,
what nectar now, where to go?
daisies gone, hay cut low,
milkweed blowing, ragweed bent,
but one sweet source heaven-sent,
oh yes, still here, far from done,
shyly drooped, flowers of sun.

Next Summer

sweet summer zinnias,
alas, no more,
of those still colored,
maybe four,
all the rest,
though standing brave,
are dry and brown,
too gone to save–
time to pluck,
time to pull,
and gather seeds
till jars are full.

J. A. Wagner holds a Ph.D. in history from Arizona State University and has taught classes in British and American history at Arizona State and Phoenix College. A retired editor, he has written and published a dozen reference works in English and European history. His poems have appeared in Sparks of Calliope, Your Daily Poem, Blue Unicorn, WestWard Quarterly, and in the 2025 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar. He splits his time between Wisconsin and Arizona.