The first things I notice when I see a growing flower are the signs of invasion.
Commercial bouquets are always strangely antiseptic-
Freed of signs of struggle or conflict, kept safely vibrant until they evenly fade and whither.
Outside, the browning curl of the petal fades into the aphid’s blemish-
Connects into the scar tissue of a heavy wind, the enlarged vein of viral infection.
Caught in the sun, there is no way to ignore the price of living-
Worn as clearly as the fierce pump of water to the rigid petals.
As complete and perfect as a cloudless day-
A sky with a thousand miles of blue.
The beauty is in the struggle
If you would like to see more stories of the mistakes that make perfection, I have also written a fantasy novel, The Guests of Honor. It is available here.
Cat Amesbury 