Nothing lies dormant in the tropics-
All is lush, bursting, vivid and hot with life.
No real time of rest.
An afternoon nap gives birth to sweat.
My
mother
stubbornly plants northern flowers
And watches them gasp and die.
Pink-frilled yellow roses
Gone wild, weedy in the heat.
Requiring pruning, mulching, careful
watching-
Spraying to avoid black spot, parasites.
Delicate, smelling softly of tea,
They and she do not belong here.
Her two little girls, barefoot and wild...
Brilliant...hibiscus; tenacious...bougainvillea.
Many plants are not oppressed in this climate.
It all depends what you call beauty.
