Yesterday’s NaPoWriMo optional prompt was:

The word florilegium refers to a book of botanical illustrations of decorative plants and also a collection of excerpts from other writings.  In her poem, “Florilegium,” Canadian poet Sylvia Legris gathers together many five-lined stanzas that describe flowers but also play with the sounds of their names, their medical (or poisonous) qualities, and historical aspects of herbalism. Today, pick a flower [I’ve changed it to fungi]. Now, write your own poem in which you muse on your selections’ names and meanings. 

I’ve chosen this because after the massiveness of the two weekend poems I would like something simple & defined. A five line poem sounds ideal. (I might do a couple, depends how it goes.)

The Factoid revisits a very popular topic from Sunday.

[Disclaimer: As with yesterday’s entry, this poem was written on the correct day (Monday) but was unable to get it online owing to painting again, repercussions of meetings still, & the arduousness of queuing up a near infinite amount of blogs.]

*****

fungilegium: Bird’s Nest
Cyathus

Whimsy abounds as alternate names 
spore out of the text books
like fungi from the damp dirt.
Elfin Cups, Fairy Goblets, 
Pixie’s Purses, & Splash Cups.

Delicate. Trumpet-shaped nest.
Spores resembling eggs. Hard 
to spot. Allegedly. Make a wish. 
Fairies are nearby. Before the sun 
sprouts the birds away. To kill cancers.

*****

Day 20 Factoid – This Really Did Happen (Possibly)

A Joke Revisited

A Scot, an Aussie, an Englishman,
& a mushroom walk into a bar

The bartender says, “Sorry sir, you need 
to leave. We’re capacitively maximised.”

Mushroom: “What are you saying?”
Bartender: “There isn’t mushroom!”

[C’mon you’re loving the dad jokes, admit it.]