A Bad Day in June

Adder’s tongue
and adder’s mouth
spiderwort, lousewort
and viper’s bugloss

Toad flax
and frog orchid
green dragon, dragon’s mouth
and lizard’s tail

Why do we name
our rare and elegant flowers
after reptiles and insects?
why do we call them

Snakeroot
and creeping and downy
dwarf and giant
rattlesnake plantains?

Jon Taylor lives in Nashville, TN. He can be reached at taylor.jon440@gmail.com. Read other articles by Jon.