Charlie

She was talking rather loudly, 

 it forced her petals to turn out ever so slightly.

Delicate her appearance,

but a throaty squelch of a voice.

Yes, she was a bitch of a flower.

Some would argue more like a weed.

You'd never know though.

Her vibrant color

and lines,

her fluted rim.

She stood tall & strong.

Tough against the wind.

But the lillys were crowding her out!

Conflicting with her violet ting.

"Orange is the color of ditch weed!" 

she said.

"Go back to where you've been!"

But the lilly's paid no mind,

to her hollering.

An empty can they said.

They knew her ranting was purely 

her jealousy. 

Her vanity & fierce voice,

more of a harsh prim.

For her life span was already beginning to end.

And the lilly's were hearty & didn't give a shit!

But she still ranted at them,

squawked & sputtered,

and whined,

much more like she was a belly ache.

"You weren't suppose to open until next week!

And NOW you're crowding me!

Your so big & so pushy! GIVE ME A BREAK!"

She lambasted the lilly's in 

her self-serving fashion, 

until there came a voice from below...

it was the creeping charlie, 

trying to chime in.

She snapped,

"What do you know!?"

"Well BLUE, if you don't mind,

I, too, could use some sunshine!

And a few more drops of the rain water would also be fine!"

"Hush you weed! Who pretends to flower!

Who asks you anyhow!

Get back to the ground & creep away, 

as my roots loathe you. 

And you bruise by delicate petals!"

Charlie lay down & bunched himself up.
The lilly's just laughed as they do.

While they watched

Blue's edges start to turn brown.

"You're already starting to wither

you delicate frail flower!

And the bees haven't even come around...."

The lily's giggle & gaggle some more.

"OH STOP your bantering at me

It's dulling my color!"

But her vibrancy was fleeting

with sun as it began to set.

And the lily's carried on,

she got not a wink of rest.

By morning, her voice had been spent.

Her petals turned inward,

there was nothing left.

And Charlie climbed up to her,

as she was too weak to cast him out.

He shared his love & affection

with the beautiful prim. 

He told of her real beauty, 

which was from within.

She seeped a little dew,

she reserved for her last breathe,

and rolled onto Charlie.

It was her end.

The lilly's continued their cavorting.

They laughed at Charlies's pain.

Back to the ground he covered

as if nothing had been gained. 

But then the lilly's to began to turn,

that ugly shade of brown.

And Charlie  crawled up their sturdy stalks,

and said they could settle down now.

The sun is now the highest,

and the rains will be the warmest.

And you've given me a place to dwell.

And here I will slumber, 

On the distant voices of your vanity 

& arrogance you tried to atone.

And in this peaceful place,

so high & bright,

does a wondering weed truly wallow!

Photography by Sammi Peters