A Satisfied Journey. Poem by Olamide Adebayo

When my hands were empty;
And mind relaxed.
A perfect period to impact,
Or maybe have fun with Luigi.
This period,
Like some would go shopping,
And some, fishing,
While some, chatting.
I went off the hook,
Studying some rare species of plant.


First was the ferocious one,
That had no root.
The Bladderwort, so it is called,
Or maybe the Utricularia plant.
Watching it capture
And digest little creatures
With its small hollow sacs,
It was amazing.


The amusement soon faded,
As I felt it was too small;
I needed a much bigger one,
I continued.


Next on the mountain, I found,
The very one with the sticky-stalk gland,
Shining with so much affinity.
Its leaves further closing,
As the insects helplessly struggle,
Thereby trapping the little fellows.
Then I realized it was the Drosera plant,
The Sundew, as it is popularly called.


Though, a bit bigger than the utricularia,
I needed a larger plant;
Much more bigger than the sundew.
I came across the rare Venus Flytrap,
But I proceed.


My gaze struck another.
It appeared unique;
Funnel-shaped leaf with slippery rim,
Having a pool in it,
It was the Cobra Lilly,
Trapping the weary little insects in the pool.


A very big one,
But I wanted something bigger.
Once more, I searched.


All the way to Malaysia;
On the tallest mountain in Borneo,
There it feasted on nature.
A fulfilled smile I gave,
Having sighted the largest, of all.
Like the cobra lilly, it trapped insects;
Even bigger ones.
Much more bigger than the venus flytrap,
Oh yes!
The Ralph Pitcher plant it was.


I reach for my watch,
It was sun-down already,
I backed for home, satisfied.
I have learnt about new plants,
I had enough to put down in my diary.