The Blue Plant Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

The Blue Plant
In a clearing in the woods there is a blue plant
that is illuminated from the inside and shines
long after dark, but if you stop and stare its
four petals curl up, light is switched off and it
looks another way; this because it lives in fear
of being recognized by a passing botanist and
classified as a minor little weed not worth
bothering about.
As I'm only a sailor who lost his sextant and
ended up in a wrong vale and not Singapore
which was my intention, I have its confidence
So I asked: 'what if the botanist finds you
the most beautiful flower he has ever seen,
then you will be famous, poets will go all
tearful and lyrical about you and you'll appear
in illustrated books.'
The blue flower's light flickered on and off it
was clearly in distress petals in a flutter and
shakily it said: 'I fear fame it's an awesome
responsibility I have to shine and shine always
look my best and there is no turning away when
things get tough and they will ask me about
stuff I know nothing about and critics will ask
'is blue the only colour you have got'
©Jan Oskar Hansen, all rights reserved