Survivor

At the flower shop she made her choice.

She'd found the one with nicest bloom.

In her expertise she did rejoice,

This plant would glorify her room.

And then at home, a fine surprise!

Beneath the leaves was another shoot

That had escaped her searching eyes

And defiantly had taken root.

She was intrigued, and marvelled at

This little plant – what could he be?

Exotic species? no doubt about that!

Unique and special she could see.

She named him "Survivor", and sought to tell

His story to all who saw him there.

She watched him grow and thrive so well –

A testament to her skillful care.

And then one day, she learned that he

Was a common weed that had taken root

In another's pot – and shamefully

She'd mistaken him for a special shoot.

"Survivor", she thought, was her claim to fame

But her judgment of him had been too rash.

In the end he had only brought her shame.

She threw him away with the trash.

1999

(From the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter