How can those poppies
with flimsy-thin petals
blaze in bright red?
The answer’s now settled.

With three layers of cells
for light to shine through,
the mid-layer is colourless,
leaving just two.

Their red-pigment cells
are packed in a muddle,
shaped like the pieces in
jig-saw puzzles.

With red hues so dense
and gaps in odd ways,
those bobbing field poppies
can dazzle our gaze.

In response to November prompt Remembrance Day

Inspired by https://www.zmescience.com/science/poppy-color-petal-structure-2463625341/
‘How poppy petals create striking colors despite being thinner than your skin’

Image from Pixabay