Elusive Flower Poem by Felix Bongjoh

(i)

A flower stands
on a tree's
highest peak.

Flower waves
its wings
in crystal
hands of air.

Flower rises
taller than
a eucalyptus giant

carrying a cluster
of gray- green
and bluish silver

petals, a fist
in a bud, swinging
in its calyx

holding it
like tightened fingers
making a fist
to punch through air.

The flower
is perched
on its gleaming
crown,
a petiole stretching

head and tail
of the flower,
its glow splashing
rainbow beams.

At the tree's
highest peak,

a saw-edged flower
stands
and bobs through
the time-wheeled day.

Through the breezy
glow of a blue
and pearl day, its
cotton brow
stroking the bird to scoop
the flower from air.

(ii)

Its petals flip out
egret wings
to flicker all day,

all night
on time's bouncing
tide, as waves
of the tree's branches
roll, howling,

flowing through air
as they stick
to their trunks,

dropping hairs
and feathers
of their greenish
and yellow skin.

Let a tern fly
to the top
of the tree. It'll pick
and bring the flower.

But if the flower
in its saw-edged wings
is not hiding
in the ash eucalyptus
tree, let a hummingbird

fly higher
into a Hyperion tree
to mine the gem
of a flower.

(iii)

O tallest tree,
toss the bird into
a fir's crown
to grab a jewel
of that flower.

Toss the bird over
into the warm arms
of a Menara tree
to pick that elusive flower.

A harpy eagle
is sent to pluck the flower
Then on a breezy
night of sun
in the full-winged moon

flipping out
lace sparks, a flowery
star sails low
with a star, the only
bright flower

on the tall tree top
of wallowing space,

no other floral
silver-gold flower
hanging over
a soaring, hovering
tree's peak.

(iv)

Like a flower
in a peak that melts
into higher
lace peaks
of sky, overambition

spins that flower
on the tallest tree
that only flees
to a taller tree
of air without height,

when a storm
pushes the eye
into a tornado waving
death flags,
as air digs into empty holes.

No star fish
in a silvery watery sky
of moon.

No orchid. No
canna lily.

No cactus spinning
sparks of flowers,
but a fleeting fleeing star
clothed
in a blue-lime attire.