Today’s poem

I have a cottage, its garden is fine, Far in the country, I like it, it’s mine. But there is a story I have to relate About a new plant and a matter of fate. I saw it growing one morning in May, A small leafy plant not at all in the way. It settled itself amongst my spring flowers And quietly it grew in the sunshiny hours. Its leaves were deep green, its buds brightest blue. I gazed at the plant, unfamiliar and new. I asked gardening friends, but no one could say What it was called and they all went away. Alone with my plant I watched as it grew, Its leaves shiny green, its flowers deepest blue. It grew very fast, quite soon 5ft tall, And I was transfixed, it had me in thrall. The flowers in my garden faded away, But the plant grew apace, was taller each day. One morning I woke, looked out at the plant. It seemed to have moved. I cried: ‘No, it can’t.’ Its leaves swayed. Its flowers had centres like eyes. I felt it regard me as if for a prize. I dressed and went out, it was now very near. No longer an icon, it filled me with fear. I backed to the gate and got in my car, Alerted the police, then watched from afar While they dealt with the plant, it put up a fight, With its poisonous leaves, its strength and its might. At last it had gone. ‘You were lucky,’ they said. ‘That was a triffid, you might have been dead.’ I’m back in my cottage, my garden looks good, With Michaelmas daisies, as I knew it would. This morning I saw as I wandered around A very small plant growing close to the ground. Its leaves are deep green and its buds brightest blue. But this time I’m certain I know what to do.