Of flowering carnivory like the waterwheel, the sundew,
The goddess of love or a mousetrap.

Do not mistake that rosette mouth for blush.
She does not blush. She is prickled, but poised,

as her parade of ants, spiders, beetles,
unknowingly process through her open maw.

Flying insects are more rare, but the taste of flight
is worth the hunger pains.

Flowers don’t shed a drop of blood,
bulb-like, leaf blade poised for the striking,

leaf and tentacle movement swift and fierce.
This is the only response she has to touching.

The speed of the trap can vary depending on the amount
of humidity, light, and size of prey.

She grows in acidic soil, tolerates fire,
and depends on periodic burning to suppress her end

as she sits, potted there, painted up and ready to snap
like a mannequin in a storefront window
bent in all the right places and waiting.