Jungle Orchid
by wisp Saturday, Jun 19 2010, 10:07am
international / prose/poetry / literature

a rare genus
this wild jungle flower,
difficult to locate
but worth the effort
of discovery.

it is found only
in the undergrowth
never in the open,
hidden from all but the
most persistent
searchers.

it resists all attempts at cultivation/
domestication
this genus only flowers
in the wild
it cannot endure
confinement
or a managed environment.

its soft speckled petals
betray its fragility
yet it thrives
in hostile forests and
dark, humid jungles.

a tiny flower
familiar to the
creatures of the night
but lost to the squawking,
noise of day.

if by chance you encounter
this orchid in bloom
expose it to the soft
moon light,
its natural beauty enhanced;

never remove it from its
place – it flourishes only
in locations of its choosing;

there it shares itself
with those
that take the trouble
to discover its fragile allure,
its secret hidden places.