A Poem by Jean Louise Monte

Ladybugs are Worth the Foxtails

It's hard to
walk the
labyrinth
when the
foxtails
are thick
from the rain
and their
stickers embed
themselves
in the hem
of my jeans.

I ought
to weed,
except the
ladybugs
are here
relishing
the foxtails,
metamorphosing
on the weedy
stalks, and climbing
on my hands
as I meditate.

Jean Louise Monte lives in Southern California with her husband and four furry children.  She is the author of one book of poetry, Leaves, Like Party Ornaments.  Her work has been published in California Quarterly, Avocet, Jellyfish Whispers, Life As An [Insert Label Here], and several anthologies.