African Tulip Tree

African Tulip Tree

once they borrowed
   this invasive tree,
   brought from afar
      to hawai'i.

     it was imported
from a world away,
once transplanted
   it just got away.

spread like disease, 
      among a flock,
   we heard it so.

   so many things
we do will fail us.

   time will bring
   surprises that
      we cannot
understand.

our great works 
   impress us so.

      new evils
      seem to
surprise us;

but we may 
      still endure.

Dried Thistle

Dried Thistle

sharp and prickly
to protect herself,

her tender heart,
   broken so many 
      times before.

and so proctected,
   we might also be,

except that there 
      is such a price
to pay for nearly
perfect protection.

      today it snows.
we hunker down,

protected from cold
by extra insulation,
 
   so we can nap on
a winter afternoon.

   a thistle flower is
a beautiful thing,
clearly something
   to be protected..

Yellow Roses

      symbolizing
friendship and 
   nothing else,

      yellow roses
 are a message, not
   always welcome.

she wanted red
      roses always,

   from everyone,
(symbolizing love).

she wanted 
      yellow too,
   
finding that
   money helped.

the world could  
   be her party,

      with many
shouts of joy.

she'd have liked that.
   party all the time.

      until it ended.

she will be missed, 
      by somebody.

Five Pink Roses

roses: a claim
certainly to a
   kind of love.

      dressed up to 
show someone
   some kind of
sweet emotion

      wedding or
   funeral, this
feeling is alike,

   a dozen roses
means the same
as one, but costs
      a lot more.

   friend or family
resting in a box,
or beautiful lady,
   cute as any fox.

   roses: a claim
   certainly to a
      kind of love.

   dressed up to 
show someone
   some kind of
sweet emotion

Hybrid Phaleanopsis

   unknown 
      varieties
overwhelm 
   our senses.

      she likes 
to smell their 
   perfumes.

and they have 
   colour too, 
fine, bright 
      colour.

colour, i can
   appreciate.

cross pollination!
      mixing
creates new
   varieties,

exotic shapes,
   patterns of
vivid colour.

   and we are
like that too.

      improved 
   by contact
   with others
(who we miss)

Narcisus

old stories
were told of
a young man,

in love with
      himself.

   flowers are,
as we should
remember,

      a little
different.

   and many
      varieties
can brighten

our spring
      gardens.

      people are
a bit like that.

now that we
   hardly ever 
      see them,

      we can 
appreciate
the beautiful
   variety.

Bird Orchid

dragons in the sky,
      a white fluffy
unicorn, a kitten
   in the clouds.

   sometimes i think
i'll never see them. 

      where there
are clouds, that's
   what i see,

      although i
keep looking.

the orchid though,
   seemed to have
      a bird shape, 
      a purple bird.

   i like the bird,
and think i may 
   like this new
      year too, 
and hope i can.

      a kitten 
in the clouds.

October Chicory

   once in october
i stopped to look
at ripening corn,

saw the last of
      the chicory,
growing on the
edge of the field.

    faded beauty,
beyond summer,

   a reminder of
summer chicory,

maybe a weed,
maybe a flavour
      enhancer,

      definitely
beautiful flowers
on ragged stems.

   weed or flower?
(a question: how
can i be classified?)

Heliconia Seven

   a favorite, it 
      grows in a
warm place,
   somewhere
i've never been.

      several years 
have gone now
   and there may
be no way back.

exotic and bright,
   it pleased me:
   something so 
strange and
      wonderful.

   tropical sun
powers colour
to overwhelm

my temperate
   vision, and
i am almost
      blinded.

Prickles

      we'll try 
      to forget
why anyone 
would feel 
   unsafe,

   or that any 
   bite might 
be a delicious 
   discovery:

like artichokes
(once you get
      past the 
   prickles)

   so many have
such defences.
   hurt once, we
   try strategies
      to minimise

future attacks,
   painful and 
   maybe evil.

something to 
      be said 
for prickles.

   none of us
wants to be
      bitten or
chewed up.