Moonflower - Viv Aitken
Lonely she.
The moonflower quivers.
Coiled,
Contained.
Defying villain sun.
Only she
Maintains resistance.
Purer sister
To those wanton ones
Parading multi-coloured selves
To heat and light and insect tongues.
Slowly, she -
Dusk descending -
Leans in.
Burns for cool of night.
Silent, she -
Unfurling petals -
Flagrant, fragrant,
Lures her lover in
The craven moth beats wings against her heart
And, cradled in his darkness,
There
She blooms.
Contributor's Note
Viv Aitken is senior lecturer in Education at the University of Waikato. This is the first time she has ever shared any of her poetry and she would never have done it without the encouragement of Terry Locke and Tracey Savage - for which, thanks. The inspiration for this verse arose when someone told Viv all about the strange and wonderful behaviour of the moonflower - for which, also, thanks. A videoclip of a moonflower blooming can be viewed here.