No flamboyant, pampered,
and over-bred
hot-housed princesses,
potted and fed,
no,
with our transparent skulls
and our parrot beaks,
no colour, no scent
for you to seek,
we hide in the spaces,
between those you took.
No,
we don’t want your attention,
but if you stop to look,
we’ll give you a nod
with our leaf-green hoods.
Just
nod back, then walk on.
Show you’ve understood.
Every year in spring I look for the nodding greenhood orchids in the gully that flows down the hill from our dam. This year there seem to be more than usual, probably from the high rainfall two years in a row. There are several special of greenhood, and as a family they’re listed as “vulnerable”. My daughter took a look at them and said “they’re so ugly!”, which I guess explains why you wont find them in a plant catalogue. I can see her point, but I still go looking for them every spring and after a few dry years it was good to them back again.
anotherKate 
I love your use of the negative in this poem. It really gives this little orchid a personality!
Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome.
any colour you like enlgish system
wis and wuz
the bird place is plain yet hidden
come on in
ye are bidden~
A swan in an ugly duckling’s clothes maybe. 🙂
or maybe just ugly ducklings… 😀
Lovely ode to the greenhood! Ugly? I think they are a little weird perhaps, but delicately beautiful.
I don’t know… I really like them, but there is something about that transparent skull that you peek at their innards through that is very alien.
I know what you mean, it does look a bit like an alien skull!
They remind me of those deep sea fish that are transparent because colour is no use down there in the dark. I wonder why these orchids are so self effacing?
Security through obscurity perhaps? Not likely to be picked or eaten.
Possibly. It’s a fine line between not being eaten and not being attended by bees/birds etc. Cruel world. 🌼
true 🙂