Anthony's Literary Lens

Category: plants

  • The Last Dance

    The Last Dance

    White birds dance in spring,
    Love’s final song on silk
    The moon watches on.

    Two cranes under cherry blossom. Japanese style

    Master Takeshi’s hands trembled as he mixed the paint, each drop of water adding life to the colours. The cherry blossoms outside his window had reached their peak – that perfect, heartbreaking moment before the inevitable fall of its pink tears. He knew this would be his final spring; the cough that had plagued him through winter now whispered of endings.

    The pale moon rose like a communion wafer in the blue canvas of the night sky, a  witness to his solitude. His students had long since departed, his wife rested beneath the cherry tree in the village cemetery, and his children lived in distant cities with no time for an old man’s fading art. The brushes that had once danced across silk with the confidence of youth now felt heavy in his arthritic grip.

    But tonight was different. Tonight, he had seen them.

    Two cranes had appeared by the stream as the last light faded, their white forms luminous against the dusky water. They moved as lovers move in their first and final dance, unknowing of the old man’s eyes that drank their beauty like summer wine. In their dance, Takeshi glimpsed something he had spent seventy years trying to capture: the essence of love enduring beyond time.

    The moon climbed higher as he worked, its cold light mixing with the warm glow of his lantern. He painted time into timelessness, each brushstroke a recorded memory, each curve of the cranes’ necks a fragment of beauty. His body ached, but his spirit soared with a clarity he hadn’t felt in years. The cherry petals seemed to fall in slow motion across his silk canvas, and he caught them falling, caught them in their brief and burning beauty.

    As dawn approached, Takeshi set down his brush for the last time. The painting was complete: two cranes eternal in their devotion, cherry blossoms caught forever in their gentle fall, the pale moon watching over it all, a pearl of blessing.

    In the morning, they found him sleeping the sleep that has no waking, peacefully in his chair facing the window where the real cranes danced. The villagers discovered the painting and gasped – for in the morning light, they swore the cranes turned to watch them, alive with an ancient wisdom.

    Hung in the village shrine where incense dreams met candlelit prayers, it worked its gentle magic on all who came to see. Bitter couples grew sweet again, children ceased their crying, and the lonely felt less alone beneath its gaze. The cherry tree outside began to bloom longer each year, as if reluctant to let spring fade.

    Some say that on nights when the moon is full and low, just as it was in Takeshi’s final painting, the cranes step from the silk and dance once more by the stream. Others claim it’s merely moonlight playing tricks on grieving hearts.

    But the villagers know better. They know that love, once captured in its purest form, becomes eternal – outlasting the hands that created it, the eyes that first beheld it, and even the seasons that inspired it. In his last great work, Master Takeshi had painted not just cranes and blossoms, but the soul of devotion itself.

    There, under the eternal moon’s blessing, his final song still plays – a melody of devotion that death cannot silence, beauty that time cannot fade, love that lives forever in the grace of two white cranes dancing through the falling petals of the world.

    If you find my photography or my writing inspiring and uplifting, consider supporting what I do. Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi.
    Your support makes a difference in my life and helps me create more of what you, and I, like. Thank you!
    Tap here for a list of 100 endangered animals and plants.

    100 endangered plant and animal species

    * Abies beshanzuensis (Baishan fir) – Plant (Tree) – Baishanzu Mountain, Zhejiang, China – Three mature individuals

    * Actinote zikani – Insect (butterfly) – Near São Paulo, Atlantic forest, Brazil – Unknown numbers

    * Aipysurus foliosquama (Leaf scaled sea-snake) – Reptile – Ashmore Reef and Hibernia Reef, Timor Sea – Unknown numbers * Amanipodagrion gilliesi (Amani flatwing) – Insect (damselfly) – Amani-Sigi Forest, Usamabara Mountains, Tanzania – < 500 individuals * Antisolabis seychellensis – Insect – Morne Blanc, Mahé island, Seychelles – Unknown numbers * Antilophia bokermanni (Araripe manakin) – Bird – Chapado do Araripe, South Ceará, Brazil – 779 individuals * Aphanius transgrediens (Aci Göl toothcarp) – Fish – south-eastern shore of former Lake Aci, Turkey – Few hundred pairs * Aproteles bulmerae (Bulmer’s fruit bat) – Mammal – Luplupwintern Cave, Western Province, Papua New Guinea – 150 * Ardea insignis (White bellied heron) – Bird – Bhutan, North East India and Myanmar – 70–400 individuals * Ardeotis nigriceps (Great Indian bustard) – Bird – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya, India – 50–249 mature individuals * Astrochelys yniphora (Ploughshare tortoise) – Reptile – Baly Bay region, northwestern Madagascar – 440–770 * Atelopus balios (Rio Pescado stubfoot toad) – Amphibian – Azuay, Cañar and Guyas provinces, south-western Ecuador – Unknown numbers * Aythya innotata (Madagascar pochard) – Bird – volcanic lakes north of Bealanana, Madagascar – 80 mature individuals * Azurina eupalama (Galapagos damsel fish) – Fish – Unknown numbers – Unknown numbers * Bahaba taipingensis (Giant yellow croaker) – Fish – Chinese coast from Yangtze River, China to Hong Kong – Unknown numbers * Batagur baska (Common batagur) – Reptile (turtle) – Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – Unknown numbers * Bazzania bhutanica – Plant – Budini and Lafeti Khola, Bhutan – 2 sub-populations * Beatragus hunteri (Hirola) – Mammal (antelope) – South-east Kenya and possibly south-west Somalia – < 1,000 individuals * Bombus franklini (Franklin’s bumblebee) – Insect (bee) – Oregon and California – Unknown numbers * Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui / Woolly spider monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Atlantic forest, south-eastern Brazil – < 1,000 * Bradypus pygmaeus (Pygmy three-toed sloth) – Mammal – Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama – < 500 * Callitriche pulchra – Plant (freshwater) – pool on Gavdos, Greece – Unknown numbers * Calumma tarzan (Tarzan’s chameleon) – Reptile – Anosibe An’Ala region, eastern Madagascar – < 100 * Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina’s guinea pig) – Mammal (rodent) – Moleques do Sul Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil – 40–60 * Cercopithecus roloway (Roloway guenon) – Mammal (primate) – Côte d’Ivoire – Unknown numbers * Coleura seychellensis (Seychelles sheath-tailed bat) – Mammal (bat) – Two small caves on Silhouette and Mahé, Seychelles – < 100 * Cryptomyces maximus (Willow blister) – Fungi – Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom – Unknown numbers * Cryptotis nelsoni (Nelson’s small-eared shrew) – Mammal (shrew) – Volcán San Martín Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico – Unknown numbers * Cyclura collei (Jamaican iguana / Jamaican rock iguana) – Reptile – Hellshire Hills, Jamaica – Unknown numbers * Daubentonia madagascariensis (Aye-aye) – Mammal (primate) – Deciduous forest, East Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Dendrophylax fawcettii (Cayman Islands ghost orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Ironwood Forest, George Town, Grand Cayman – Unknown numbers * Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Sumatran rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia – < 100 (more recent estimates suggest 34-47) * Diomedea amsterdamensis (Amsterdam albatross) – Bird – Breeds on Plateuau des Tourbières, Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean. – 100 mature individuals * Dioscorea strydomiana (Wild yam) – Plant – Oshoek area, Mpumalanga, South Africa – 200 * Diospyros katendei – Plant (tree) – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Uganda – 20 individuals in a single population * Dipterocarpus lamellatus – Plant (tree) – Siangau Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia – 12 individuals * Discoglossus nigriventer (Hula painted frog) – Amphibian – Hula Valley, Israel – Unknown numbers * Dombeya mauritiana – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Elaeocarpus bojeri (Bois Dentelle) – Plant (tree) – Grand Bassin, Mauritius – < 10 individuals * Eleutherodactylus glandulifer (La Hotte glanded frog) – Amphibian – Massif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eleutherodactylus thorectes (Macaya breast-spot frog) – Amphibian – Formon and Macaya peaks, Masif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eriosyce chilensis (Chilenito (cactus)) – Plant – Pta Molles and Pichidungui, Chile – < 500 individuals * Erythrina schliebenii (Coral tree) – Plant – Namatimbili-Ngarama Forest, Tanzania – < 50 individuals * Euphorbia tanaensis – Plant (tree) – Witu Forest Reserve, Kenya – 4 mature individuals * Eurynorhyncus pygmeus (Spoon-billed sandpiper) – Bird – Breeds in Russia, migrates along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway to wintering grounds in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – 100 breeding pairs * Ficus katendei – Plant – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Ishasha River, Uganda – < 50 mature individuals * Geronticus eremita (Northern bald ibis) – Bird – Breeds in Morocco, Turkey and Syria. Syrian population winters in central Ethiopia. – About 3000 individuals * Gigasiphon macrosiphon – Plant (flower) – Kaya Muhaka, Gongoni and Mrima Forest Reserves, Kenya, Amani Nature Reserve, West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve, and Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania – 33 * Gocea ohridana – Mollusc – Lake Ohrid, Macedonia – Unknown numbers * Heleophryne rosei (Table mountain ghost frog) – Amphibian – Table Mountain, Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Hemicycla paeteliana – Mollusc (land snail) – Jandia peninsula, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Heteromirafa sidamoensis (Liben lark) – Bird – Liben Plains, southern Ethiopia – 90–256 * Hibiscadelphus woodii – Plant (tree) – Kalalau Valley, Hawaii – Unknown numbers * Hucho perryi (Sakhalin taimen) – Fish – Russian and Japanese rivers, Pacific Ocean between Russia and Japan – Unknown numbers * Johora singaporensis (Singapore freshwater crab) – Crustacean – Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and streamlet near Bukit Batok, Singapore – Unknown numbers * Lathyrus belinensis (Belin vetchling) – Plant – Outskirts of Belin village, Antalya, Turkey – < 1,000 * Leiopelma archeyi (Archey’s frog) – Amphibian – Coromandel peninsula and Whareorino Forest, New Zealand – Unknown numbers * Lithobates sevosus (Dusky gopher frog) – Amphibian – Harrison County, Mississippi, USA – 60–100 * Lophura edwardsi (Edwards’s pheasant) – Bird – Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Magnolia wolfii – Plant (tree) – Risaralda, Colombia – 3 * Margaritifera marocana – Mollusc – Oued Denna, Oued Abid and Oued Beth, Morocco – < 250 * Moominia willii – Mollusc (snail) – Silhouette Island, Seychelles – < 500 * Natalus primus (Cuban greater funnel eared bat) – Mammal (bat) – Cueva La Barca, Isle of Pines, Cuba – < 100 * Nepenthes attenboroughii (Attenborough’s pitcher plant) – Plant – Mount Victoria, Palawan, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Nomascus hainanus (Hainan black crested gibbon) – Mammal (primate) – Hainan Island, China – 20 * Neurergus kaiseri (Luristan newt) – Amphibian – Zagros Mountains, Lorestan, Iran – < 1,000 * Oreocnemis phoenix (Mulanje red damsel) – Insect (damselfly) – Mulanje Plateau, Malawi – Unknown numbers * Pangasius sanitwongsei (Pangasid catfish) – Fish – Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Parides burchellanus – Insect (butterfly) – Cerrado, Brazil – < 100 * Phocoena sinus (Vaquita) – Mammal (porpoise) – Northern Gulf of California, Mexico – 12 * Picea neoveitchii (Type of spruce tree) – Plant (tree) – Qinling Range, China – Unknown numbers * Pinus squamata (Qiaojia pine) – Plant (tree) – Qiaojia, Yunnan, China – < 25 * Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty tarantula / Metallic tarantula / Peacock tarantula / Salepurgu) – Spider – Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh, India – Unknown numbers * Pomarea whitneyi (Fatuhiva monarch) – Bird – Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia – 50 * Pristis pristis (Common sawfish) – Fish – Coastal tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Currently largely restricted to northern Australia – Unknown numbers * Hapalemur simus (Greater bamboo lemur) – Mammal (primate) – Southeastern and southcentral rainforests of Madagascar – 500 * Propithecus candidus (Silky sifaka) – Mammal (primate) – Maroantsetra to Andapa basin, and Marojeju Massif, Madagascar – 100–1,000 * Psammobates geometricus (Geometric tortoise) – Reptile – Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Pseudoryx nghetinhensis (Saola) – Mammal – Annamite mountains, on the Viet Nam – PDR Laos border – Unknown numbers * Psiadia cataractae – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Psorodonotus ebneri (Beydaglari bush-cricket) – Insect – Beydaglari range, Antalaya, Turkey – Unknown numbers * Rafetus swinhoei (Red River giant softshell turtle) – Reptile – Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Mo Lake, Viet Nam, and Suzhou Zoo, China – 3 * Rhinoceros sondaicus (Javan rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia – < 100 * Rhinopithecus avunculus (Tonkin snub-nosed monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Northeastern Vietnam – < 200 * Rhizanthella gardneri (West Australian underground orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Western Australia, Australia – < 100 * Rhynchocyon spp. (Boni giant sengi) – Mammal – Boni-Dodori Forest, Lamu area, Kenya – Unknown numbers * Risiocnemis seidenschwarzi (Cebu frill-wing) – Insect (damselfly) – Rivulet beside the Kawasan River, Cebu, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Rosa arabica – Plant – St Katherine Mountains, Egypt – Unknown numbers, 10 sub-populations * Salanoia durrelli (Durrell’s vontsira) – Mammal (mongoose) – Marshes of Lake Alaotra, Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Santamartamys rufodorsalis (Red crested tree rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia – Unknown numbers * Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis (Red-finned blue-eye) – Fish – Edgbaston Station, central western Queensland, Australia – 2,000–4,000 * Squatina squatina (Angel shark) – Fish – Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Sterna bernsteini (Chinese crested tern) – Bird – Breeding in Zhejiang and Fujian, China. Outside breeding season in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand. – < 50 * Syngnathus watermeyeri (Estuarine pipefish) – Fish – Kariega Estuary to East Kleinemonde Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Tahina spectabilis (Suicide palm / Dimaka) – Plant – Analalava district, north-western Madagascar – 90 * Telmatobufo bullocki (Bullock’s false toad) – Amphibian (frog) – Nahuelbuta, Arauco Province, Chile – Unknown numbers * Tokudaia muenninki (Okinawa spiny rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Okinawa Island, Japan – Unknown numbers * Trigonostigma somphongsi (Somphongs’s rasbora) – Fish – Mae Khlong basin, Thailand – Unknown numbers * Valencia letourneuxi – Fish – Southern Albania and Western Greece – Unknown numbers * Voanioala gerardii (Forest coconut) – Plant – Masoala peninsula, Madagascar – < 10 * Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough’s echidna) – Mammal – Cyclops Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia – Unknown numbers

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  • Forget-me-not

    Forget-me-not

    Tiny blue eyes watching the sky.
    Tiny blue eyes watching us.

    Forget-me-not tiny blue secrets, delicate petals speaking memory soft gentle touching heart. Tiny flowers dancing morning dew, scattered dreams across meadow carpet, blue eyes watching sky meeting earth tenderness.

    Sweet remembrance blooming corners garden, faithful promise never fading love keeping. Petals hold each lover, blue stars fallen ground telling stories ancient devotion, pure feeling flowing through seasons changing.

    Little blossom teaching human heart, simple beauty meaning more than grand gestures, quiet strength surviving harsh weather conditions. Memory flower growing wild places, spreading message true affection, blue dots painting landscape emotional connection.

    Fragile appearance hiding powerful symbol, forget-me-not carrying weight human bonds, relationships, lasting impressions soul. Nature gift reminding people importance cherishing moments, holding dear ones close heart, never letting precious memories slip away consciousness.

    Blue petals small but mighty, teaching lesson about permanence feelings, enduring love, faithful friendship. Forget-me-not conspire softly: remember always, forget never, love eternal like spring returning.

    If you find my photography or my writing inspiring and uplifting, consider supporting what I do. Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi.
    Your support makes a difference in my life and helps me create more of what you, and I, like. Thank you!
    Tap here for a list of 100 endangered animals and plants.

    100 endangered plant and animal species

    * Abies beshanzuensis (Baishan fir) – Plant (Tree) – Baishanzu Mountain, Zhejiang, China – Three mature individuals

    * Actinote zikani – Insect (butterfly) – Near São Paulo, Atlantic forest, Brazil – Unknown numbers

    * Aipysurus foliosquama (Leaf scaled sea-snake) – Reptile – Ashmore Reef and Hibernia Reef, Timor Sea – Unknown numbers * Amanipodagrion gilliesi (Amani flatwing) – Insect (damselfly) – Amani-Sigi Forest, Usamabara Mountains, Tanzania – < 500 individuals * Antisolabis seychellensis – Insect – Morne Blanc, Mahé island, Seychelles – Unknown numbers * Antilophia bokermanni (Araripe manakin) – Bird – Chapado do Araripe, South Ceará, Brazil – 779 individuals * Aphanius transgrediens (Aci Göl toothcarp) – Fish – south-eastern shore of former Lake Aci, Turkey – Few hundred pairs * Aproteles bulmerae (Bulmer’s fruit bat) – Mammal – Luplupwintern Cave, Western Province, Papua New Guinea – 150 * Ardea insignis (White bellied heron) – Bird – Bhutan, North East India and Myanmar – 70–400 individuals * Ardeotis nigriceps (Great Indian bustard) – Bird – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya, India – 50–249 mature individuals * Astrochelys yniphora (Ploughshare tortoise) – Reptile – Baly Bay region, northwestern Madagascar – 440–770 * Atelopus balios (Rio Pescado stubfoot toad) – Amphibian – Azuay, Cañar and Guyas provinces, south-western Ecuador – Unknown numbers * Aythya innotata (Madagascar pochard) – Bird – volcanic lakes north of Bealanana, Madagascar – 80 mature individuals * Azurina eupalama (Galapagos damsel fish) – Fish – Unknown numbers – Unknown numbers * Bahaba taipingensis (Giant yellow croaker) – Fish – Chinese coast from Yangtze River, China to Hong Kong – Unknown numbers * Batagur baska (Common batagur) – Reptile (turtle) – Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – Unknown numbers * Bazzania bhutanica – Plant – Budini and Lafeti Khola, Bhutan – 2 sub-populations * Beatragus hunteri (Hirola) – Mammal (antelope) – South-east Kenya and possibly south-west Somalia – < 1,000 individuals * Bombus franklini (Franklin’s bumblebee) – Insect (bee) – Oregon and California – Unknown numbers * Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui / Woolly spider monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Atlantic forest, south-eastern Brazil – < 1,000 * Bradypus pygmaeus (Pygmy three-toed sloth) – Mammal – Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama – < 500 * Callitriche pulchra – Plant (freshwater) – pool on Gavdos, Greece – Unknown numbers * Calumma tarzan (Tarzan’s chameleon) – Reptile – Anosibe An’Ala region, eastern Madagascar – < 100 * Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina’s guinea pig) – Mammal (rodent) – Moleques do Sul Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil – 40–60 * Cercopithecus roloway (Roloway guenon) – Mammal (primate) – Côte d’Ivoire – Unknown numbers * Coleura seychellensis (Seychelles sheath-tailed bat) – Mammal (bat) – Two small caves on Silhouette and Mahé, Seychelles – < 100 * Cryptomyces maximus (Willow blister) – Fungi – Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom – Unknown numbers * Cryptotis nelsoni (Nelson’s small-eared shrew) – Mammal (shrew) – Volcán San Martín Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico – Unknown numbers * Cyclura collei (Jamaican iguana / Jamaican rock iguana) – Reptile – Hellshire Hills, Jamaica – Unknown numbers * Daubentonia madagascariensis (Aye-aye) – Mammal (primate) – Deciduous forest, East Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Dendrophylax fawcettii (Cayman Islands ghost orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Ironwood Forest, George Town, Grand Cayman – Unknown numbers * Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Sumatran rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia – < 100 (more recent estimates suggest 34-47) * Diomedea amsterdamensis (Amsterdam albatross) – Bird – Breeds on Plateuau des Tourbières, Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean. – 100 mature individuals * Dioscorea strydomiana (Wild yam) – Plant – Oshoek area, Mpumalanga, South Africa – 200 * Diospyros katendei – Plant (tree) – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Uganda – 20 individuals in a single population * Dipterocarpus lamellatus – Plant (tree) – Siangau Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia – 12 individuals * Discoglossus nigriventer (Hula painted frog) – Amphibian – Hula Valley, Israel – Unknown numbers * Dombeya mauritiana – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Elaeocarpus bojeri (Bois Dentelle) – Plant (tree) – Grand Bassin, Mauritius – < 10 individuals * Eleutherodactylus glandulifer (La Hotte glanded frog) – Amphibian – Massif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eleutherodactylus thorectes (Macaya breast-spot frog) – Amphibian – Formon and Macaya peaks, Masif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eriosyce chilensis (Chilenito (cactus)) – Plant – Pta Molles and Pichidungui, Chile – < 500 individuals * Erythrina schliebenii (Coral tree) – Plant – Namatimbili-Ngarama Forest, Tanzania – < 50 individuals * Euphorbia tanaensis – Plant (tree) – Witu Forest Reserve, Kenya – 4 mature individuals * Eurynorhyncus pygmeus (Spoon-billed sandpiper) – Bird – Breeds in Russia, migrates along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway to wintering grounds in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – 100 breeding pairs * Ficus katendei – Plant – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Ishasha River, Uganda – < 50 mature individuals * Geronticus eremita (Northern bald ibis) – Bird – Breeds in Morocco, Turkey and Syria. Syrian population winters in central Ethiopia. – About 3000 individuals * Gigasiphon macrosiphon – Plant (flower) – Kaya Muhaka, Gongoni and Mrima Forest Reserves, Kenya, Amani Nature Reserve, West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve, and Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania – 33 * Gocea ohridana – Mollusc – Lake Ohrid, Macedonia – Unknown numbers * Heleophryne rosei (Table mountain ghost frog) – Amphibian – Table Mountain, Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Hemicycla paeteliana – Mollusc (land snail) – Jandia peninsula, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Heteromirafa sidamoensis (Liben lark) – Bird – Liben Plains, southern Ethiopia – 90–256 * Hibiscadelphus woodii – Plant (tree) – Kalalau Valley, Hawaii – Unknown numbers * Hucho perryi (Sakhalin taimen) – Fish – Russian and Japanese rivers, Pacific Ocean between Russia and Japan – Unknown numbers * Johora singaporensis (Singapore freshwater crab) – Crustacean – Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and streamlet near Bukit Batok, Singapore – Unknown numbers * Lathyrus belinensis (Belin vetchling) – Plant – Outskirts of Belin village, Antalya, Turkey – < 1,000 * Leiopelma archeyi (Archey’s frog) – Amphibian – Coromandel peninsula and Whareorino Forest, New Zealand – Unknown numbers * Lithobates sevosus (Dusky gopher frog) – Amphibian – Harrison County, Mississippi, USA – 60–100 * Lophura edwardsi (Edwards’s pheasant) – Bird – Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Magnolia wolfii – Plant (tree) – Risaralda, Colombia – 3 * Margaritifera marocana – Mollusc – Oued Denna, Oued Abid and Oued Beth, Morocco – < 250 * Moominia willii – Mollusc (snail) – Silhouette Island, Seychelles – < 500 * Natalus primus (Cuban greater funnel eared bat) – Mammal (bat) – Cueva La Barca, Isle of Pines, Cuba – < 100 * Nepenthes attenboroughii (Attenborough’s pitcher plant) – Plant – Mount Victoria, Palawan, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Nomascus hainanus (Hainan black crested gibbon) – Mammal (primate) – Hainan Island, China – 20 * Neurergus kaiseri (Luristan newt) – Amphibian – Zagros Mountains, Lorestan, Iran – < 1,000 * Oreocnemis phoenix (Mulanje red damsel) – Insect (damselfly) – Mulanje Plateau, Malawi – Unknown numbers * Pangasius sanitwongsei (Pangasid catfish) – Fish – Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Parides burchellanus – Insect (butterfly) – Cerrado, Brazil – < 100 * Phocoena sinus (Vaquita) – Mammal (porpoise) – Northern Gulf of California, Mexico – 12 * Picea neoveitchii (Type of spruce tree) – Plant (tree) – Qinling Range, China – Unknown numbers * Pinus squamata (Qiaojia pine) – Plant (tree) – Qiaojia, Yunnan, China – < 25 * Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty tarantula / Metallic tarantula / Peacock tarantula / Salepurgu) – Spider – Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh, India – Unknown numbers * Pomarea whitneyi (Fatuhiva monarch) – Bird – Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia – 50 * Pristis pristis (Common sawfish) – Fish – Coastal tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Currently largely restricted to northern Australia – Unknown numbers * Hapalemur simus (Greater bamboo lemur) – Mammal (primate) – Southeastern and southcentral rainforests of Madagascar – 500 * Propithecus candidus (Silky sifaka) – Mammal (primate) – Maroantsetra to Andapa basin, and Marojeju Massif, Madagascar – 100–1,000 * Psammobates geometricus (Geometric tortoise) – Reptile – Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Pseudoryx nghetinhensis (Saola) – Mammal – Annamite mountains, on the Viet Nam – PDR Laos border – Unknown numbers * Psiadia cataractae – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Psorodonotus ebneri (Beydaglari bush-cricket) – Insect – Beydaglari range, Antalaya, Turkey – Unknown numbers * Rafetus swinhoei (Red River giant softshell turtle) – Reptile – Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Mo Lake, Viet Nam, and Suzhou Zoo, China – 3 * Rhinoceros sondaicus (Javan rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia – < 100 * Rhinopithecus avunculus (Tonkin snub-nosed monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Northeastern Vietnam – < 200 * Rhizanthella gardneri (West Australian underground orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Western Australia, Australia – < 100 * Rhynchocyon spp. (Boni giant sengi) – Mammal – Boni-Dodori Forest, Lamu area, Kenya – Unknown numbers * Risiocnemis seidenschwarzi (Cebu frill-wing) – Insect (damselfly) – Rivulet beside the Kawasan River, Cebu, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Rosa arabica – Plant – St Katherine Mountains, Egypt – Unknown numbers, 10 sub-populations * Salanoia durrelli (Durrell’s vontsira) – Mammal (mongoose) – Marshes of Lake Alaotra, Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Santamartamys rufodorsalis (Red crested tree rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia – Unknown numbers * Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis (Red-finned blue-eye) – Fish – Edgbaston Station, central western Queensland, Australia – 2,000–4,000 * Squatina squatina (Angel shark) – Fish – Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Sterna bernsteini (Chinese crested tern) – Bird – Breeding in Zhejiang and Fujian, China. Outside breeding season in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand. – < 50 * Syngnathus watermeyeri (Estuarine pipefish) – Fish – Kariega Estuary to East Kleinemonde Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Tahina spectabilis (Suicide palm / Dimaka) – Plant – Analalava district, north-western Madagascar – 90 * Telmatobufo bullocki (Bullock’s false toad) – Amphibian (frog) – Nahuelbuta, Arauco Province, Chile – Unknown numbers * Tokudaia muenninki (Okinawa spiny rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Okinawa Island, Japan – Unknown numbers * Trigonostigma somphongsi (Somphongs’s rasbora) – Fish – Mae Khlong basin, Thailand – Unknown numbers * Valencia letourneuxi – Fish – Southern Albania and Western Greece – Unknown numbers * Voanioala gerardii (Forest coconut) – Plant – Masoala peninsula, Madagascar – < 10 * Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough’s echidna) – Mammal – Cyclops Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia – Unknown numbers

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  • It was seen: It was known.

    It was seen: It was known.

    All things begin in the seeing. The rest is remembering.

    In the long-before days, when the ground was still figuring how to be solid and rivers ran too fast for names, the folk did not look at the little things. Eyes were for hunting, for storms, for shadow at the treeline. No one saw the ground’s small wonders.

    There were no flowers then—not as you know. Just roots, and scratch-grass, and bristleleaf. All of it colourless. Or maybe they had colour, but no one looked long enough to tell it.

    Then there was the girl.

    Or the man.

    Some say a child, nameless, with hands too small to carry much, who walked off from the path chasing a sound like a stone rolling in a cup. Others say it was a wanderer, the kind who forgets where they were going and finds things instead.

    The story turns crooked here.

    They came to a place in the stonewall hills, where the air smelled like nothing—neither smoke nor rain. And there it was. A patch of red, not blood, not berry. A strange redness, soft and open like it wanted to be seen.

    It was a flower, though the word hadn’t been made yet.

    They say the person sat. Just that. Sat and watched it.

    First hour passed like sap. Then another.

    Then more folk came, and the looking spread. One would stare and forget their hunger. Another would see and feel strange inside, like sorrow curling into sweetness. They started to speak of it, poorly. No one had the words. They tried things like “heart-leaf” or “glow-thing.” Nothing stuck.

    But then a child—perhaps the first child born after that day—called it flor, because the sounds were easy in the mouth, and no one argued.

    After that, the world began to bloom in places it hadn’t. It was not that flowers came, but that they were noticed, and in being noticed, they multiplied. That’s what the old women said, when they sat by their windows with the petal-pots.

    Not magic. Not god-work.

    Just the first time someone stopped, and looked, and didn’t want to leave.

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    Tap here for a list of 100 endangered animals and plants.

    100 endangered plant and animal species

    * Abies beshanzuensis (Baishan fir) – Plant (Tree) – Baishanzu Mountain, Zhejiang, China – Three mature individuals

    * Actinote zikani – Insect (butterfly) – Near São Paulo, Atlantic forest, Brazil – Unknown numbers

    * Aipysurus foliosquama (Leaf scaled sea-snake) – Reptile – Ashmore Reef and Hibernia Reef, Timor Sea – Unknown numbers * Amanipodagrion gilliesi (Amani flatwing) – Insect (damselfly) – Amani-Sigi Forest, Usamabara Mountains, Tanzania – < 500 individuals * Antisolabis seychellensis – Insect – Morne Blanc, Mahé island, Seychelles – Unknown numbers * Antilophia bokermanni (Araripe manakin) – Bird – Chapado do Araripe, South Ceará, Brazil – 779 individuals * Aphanius transgrediens (Aci Göl toothcarp) – Fish – south-eastern shore of former Lake Aci, Turkey – Few hundred pairs * Aproteles bulmerae (Bulmer’s fruit bat) – Mammal – Luplupwintern Cave, Western Province, Papua New Guinea – 150 * Ardea insignis (White bellied heron) – Bird – Bhutan, North East India and Myanmar – 70–400 individuals * Ardeotis nigriceps (Great Indian bustard) – Bird – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya, India – 50–249 mature individuals * Astrochelys yniphora (Ploughshare tortoise) – Reptile – Baly Bay region, northwestern Madagascar – 440–770 * Atelopus balios (Rio Pescado stubfoot toad) – Amphibian – Azuay, Cañar and Guyas provinces, south-western Ecuador – Unknown numbers * Aythya innotata (Madagascar pochard) – Bird – volcanic lakes north of Bealanana, Madagascar – 80 mature individuals * Azurina eupalama (Galapagos damsel fish) – Fish – Unknown numbers – Unknown numbers * Bahaba taipingensis (Giant yellow croaker) – Fish – Chinese coast from Yangtze River, China to Hong Kong – Unknown numbers * Batagur baska (Common batagur) – Reptile (turtle) – Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – Unknown numbers * Bazzania bhutanica – Plant – Budini and Lafeti Khola, Bhutan – 2 sub-populations * Beatragus hunteri (Hirola) – Mammal (antelope) – South-east Kenya and possibly south-west Somalia – < 1,000 individuals * Bombus franklini (Franklin’s bumblebee) – Insect (bee) – Oregon and California – Unknown numbers * Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui / Woolly spider monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Atlantic forest, south-eastern Brazil – < 1,000 * Bradypus pygmaeus (Pygmy three-toed sloth) – Mammal – Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama – < 500 * Callitriche pulchra – Plant (freshwater) – pool on Gavdos, Greece – Unknown numbers * Calumma tarzan (Tarzan’s chameleon) – Reptile – Anosibe An’Ala region, eastern Madagascar – < 100 * Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina’s guinea pig) – Mammal (rodent) – Moleques do Sul Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil – 40–60 * Cercopithecus roloway (Roloway guenon) – Mammal (primate) – Côte d’Ivoire – Unknown numbers * Coleura seychellensis (Seychelles sheath-tailed bat) – Mammal (bat) – Two small caves on Silhouette and Mahé, Seychelles – < 100 * Cryptomyces maximus (Willow blister) – Fungi – Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom – Unknown numbers * Cryptotis nelsoni (Nelson’s small-eared shrew) – Mammal (shrew) – Volcán San Martín Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico – Unknown numbers * Cyclura collei (Jamaican iguana / Jamaican rock iguana) – Reptile – Hellshire Hills, Jamaica – Unknown numbers * Daubentonia madagascariensis (Aye-aye) – Mammal (primate) – Deciduous forest, East Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Dendrophylax fawcettii (Cayman Islands ghost orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Ironwood Forest, George Town, Grand Cayman – Unknown numbers * Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Sumatran rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia – < 100 (more recent estimates suggest 34-47) * Diomedea amsterdamensis (Amsterdam albatross) – Bird – Breeds on Plateuau des Tourbières, Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean. – 100 mature individuals * Dioscorea strydomiana (Wild yam) – Plant – Oshoek area, Mpumalanga, South Africa – 200 * Diospyros katendei – Plant (tree) – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Uganda – 20 individuals in a single population * Dipterocarpus lamellatus – Plant (tree) – Siangau Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia – 12 individuals * Discoglossus nigriventer (Hula painted frog) – Amphibian – Hula Valley, Israel – Unknown numbers * Dombeya mauritiana – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Elaeocarpus bojeri (Bois Dentelle) – Plant (tree) – Grand Bassin, Mauritius – < 10 individuals * Eleutherodactylus glandulifer (La Hotte glanded frog) – Amphibian – Massif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eleutherodactylus thorectes (Macaya breast-spot frog) – Amphibian – Formon and Macaya peaks, Masif de la Hotte, Haiti – Unknown numbers * Eriosyce chilensis (Chilenito (cactus)) – Plant – Pta Molles and Pichidungui, Chile – < 500 individuals * Erythrina schliebenii (Coral tree) – Plant – Namatimbili-Ngarama Forest, Tanzania – < 50 individuals * Euphorbia tanaensis – Plant (tree) – Witu Forest Reserve, Kenya – 4 mature individuals * Eurynorhyncus pygmeus (Spoon-billed sandpiper) – Bird – Breeds in Russia, migrates along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway to wintering grounds in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – 100 breeding pairs * Ficus katendei – Plant – Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve, Ishasha River, Uganda – < 50 mature individuals * Geronticus eremita (Northern bald ibis) – Bird – Breeds in Morocco, Turkey and Syria. Syrian population winters in central Ethiopia. – About 3000 individuals * Gigasiphon macrosiphon – Plant (flower) – Kaya Muhaka, Gongoni and Mrima Forest Reserves, Kenya, Amani Nature Reserve, West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve, and Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania – 33 * Gocea ohridana – Mollusc – Lake Ohrid, Macedonia – Unknown numbers * Heleophryne rosei (Table mountain ghost frog) – Amphibian – Table Mountain, Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Hemicycla paeteliana – Mollusc (land snail) – Jandia peninsula, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Heteromirafa sidamoensis (Liben lark) – Bird – Liben Plains, southern Ethiopia – 90–256 * Hibiscadelphus woodii – Plant (tree) – Kalalau Valley, Hawaii – Unknown numbers * Hucho perryi (Sakhalin taimen) – Fish – Russian and Japanese rivers, Pacific Ocean between Russia and Japan – Unknown numbers * Johora singaporensis (Singapore freshwater crab) – Crustacean – Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and streamlet near Bukit Batok, Singapore – Unknown numbers * Lathyrus belinensis (Belin vetchling) – Plant – Outskirts of Belin village, Antalya, Turkey – < 1,000 * Leiopelma archeyi (Archey’s frog) – Amphibian – Coromandel peninsula and Whareorino Forest, New Zealand – Unknown numbers * Lithobates sevosus (Dusky gopher frog) – Amphibian – Harrison County, Mississippi, USA – 60–100 * Lophura edwardsi (Edwards’s pheasant) – Bird – Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Magnolia wolfii – Plant (tree) – Risaralda, Colombia – 3 * Margaritifera marocana – Mollusc – Oued Denna, Oued Abid and Oued Beth, Morocco – < 250 * Moominia willii – Mollusc (snail) – Silhouette Island, Seychelles – < 500 * Natalus primus (Cuban greater funnel eared bat) – Mammal (bat) – Cueva La Barca, Isle of Pines, Cuba – < 100 * Nepenthes attenboroughii (Attenborough’s pitcher plant) – Plant – Mount Victoria, Palawan, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Nomascus hainanus (Hainan black crested gibbon) – Mammal (primate) – Hainan Island, China – 20 * Neurergus kaiseri (Luristan newt) – Amphibian – Zagros Mountains, Lorestan, Iran – < 1,000 * Oreocnemis phoenix (Mulanje red damsel) – Insect (damselfly) – Mulanje Plateau, Malawi – Unknown numbers * Pangasius sanitwongsei (Pangasid catfish) – Fish – Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam – Unknown numbers * Parides burchellanus – Insect (butterfly) – Cerrado, Brazil – < 100 * Phocoena sinus (Vaquita) – Mammal (porpoise) – Northern Gulf of California, Mexico – 12 * Picea neoveitchii (Type of spruce tree) – Plant (tree) – Qinling Range, China – Unknown numbers * Pinus squamata (Qiaojia pine) – Plant (tree) – Qiaojia, Yunnan, China – < 25 * Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty tarantula / Metallic tarantula / Peacock tarantula / Salepurgu) – Spider – Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh, India – Unknown numbers * Pomarea whitneyi (Fatuhiva monarch) – Bird – Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia – 50 * Pristis pristis (Common sawfish) – Fish – Coastal tropical and subtropical waters of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Currently largely restricted to northern Australia – Unknown numbers * Hapalemur simus (Greater bamboo lemur) – Mammal (primate) – Southeastern and southcentral rainforests of Madagascar – 500 * Propithecus candidus (Silky sifaka) – Mammal (primate) – Maroantsetra to Andapa basin, and Marojeju Massif, Madagascar – 100–1,000 * Psammobates geometricus (Geometric tortoise) – Reptile – Western Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Pseudoryx nghetinhensis (Saola) – Mammal – Annamite mountains, on the Viet Nam – PDR Laos border – Unknown numbers * Psiadia cataractae – Plant – Mauritius – Unknown numbers * Psorodonotus ebneri (Beydaglari bush-cricket) – Insect – Beydaglari range, Antalaya, Turkey – Unknown numbers * Rafetus swinhoei (Red River giant softshell turtle) – Reptile – Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Mo Lake, Viet Nam, and Suzhou Zoo, China – 3 * Rhinoceros sondaicus (Javan rhino) – Mammal (rhino) – Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia – < 100 * Rhinopithecus avunculus (Tonkin snub-nosed monkey) – Mammal (primate) – Northeastern Vietnam – < 200 * Rhizanthella gardneri (West Australian underground orchid) – Plant (orchid) – Western Australia, Australia – < 100 * Rhynchocyon spp. (Boni giant sengi) – Mammal – Boni-Dodori Forest, Lamu area, Kenya – Unknown numbers * Risiocnemis seidenschwarzi (Cebu frill-wing) – Insect (damselfly) – Rivulet beside the Kawasan River, Cebu, Philippines – Unknown numbers * Rosa arabica – Plant – St Katherine Mountains, Egypt – Unknown numbers, 10 sub-populations * Salanoia durrelli (Durrell’s vontsira) – Mammal (mongoose) – Marshes of Lake Alaotra, Madagascar – Unknown numbers * Santamartamys rufodorsalis (Red crested tree rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia – Unknown numbers * Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis (Red-finned blue-eye) – Fish – Edgbaston Station, central western Queensland, Australia – 2,000–4,000 * Squatina squatina (Angel shark) – Fish – Canary Islands – Unknown numbers * Sterna bernsteini (Chinese crested tern) – Bird – Breeding in Zhejiang and Fujian, China. Outside breeding season in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand. – < 50 * Syngnathus watermeyeri (Estuarine pipefish) – Fish – Kariega Estuary to East Kleinemonde Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa – Unknown numbers * Tahina spectabilis (Suicide palm / Dimaka) – Plant – Analalava district, north-western Madagascar – 90 * Telmatobufo bullocki (Bullock’s false toad) – Amphibian (frog) – Nahuelbuta, Arauco Province, Chile – Unknown numbers * Tokudaia muenninki (Okinawa spiny rat) – Mammal (rodent) – Okinawa Island, Japan – Unknown numbers * Trigonostigma somphongsi (Somphongs’s rasbora) – Fish – Mae Khlong basin, Thailand – Unknown numbers * Valencia letourneuxi – Fish – Southern Albania and Western Greece – Unknown numbers * Voanioala gerardii (Forest coconut) – Plant – Masoala peninsula, Madagascar – < 10 * Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough’s echidna) – Mammal – Cyclops Mountains, Papua Province, Indonesia – Unknown numbers

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  • The Rose Growers

    The Rose Growers

    In the small hours of morning, when the dew still holds court with the grass and the world hasn’t yet remembered its hurry, there are those who tend to roses. They move through their gardens like priests through cathedrals, understanding something the rest of us have forgotten in our great rush toward whatever it is we think we’re rushing toward.

    My neighbours garden

    The rose, you see, is civilization’s truest achievement. Not the atom bomb, not the smartphone that buzzes in your pocket like an angry wasp, not even the airplane that carries us above the clouds where we can pretend, for a moment, that we are gods. No—the rose. The rose with its impossible geometry of petals, its thorns that teach us that beauty and pain are lovers who never sleep apart, its fragrance that makes the air worth breathing.

    Listen: In Tokyo, there is a man who grows roses on his apartment balcony. Seven floors up, surrounded by concrete and the electric hum of a city that never sleeps, he has created a small pocket of peace. Each morning, before the trains begin their metallic hum, he waters his roses and speaks to them in a voice softer than rain. His neighbours think he is mad. His neighbours are wrong. He is sane. The rest of us have lost our minds.

    But what do we do instead? We fight. Oh, how we fight. Over oil, over borders, over who said what to whom and when and why. We send our young men and women to die in deserts and forests and cities whose names we cannot pronounce, all for the sake of being right, all for the terrible luxury of being angry. We build walls higher than our dreams and missiles that can turn roses into ash in the space between heartbeats.

    In my small Welsh town, where the hills roll like green memories and the sheep dot the landscape like quotation marks in God’s own story, there lived an old woman named Mrs. Pritchard. Every day of her eighty-seven years, she tended her rose garden with the devotion of a saint. Hybrid teas and climbers, floribundas that bloomed like captured sunsets, old roses that remembered the breath of centuries. When the young men from the village went off to war, she sent them each a pressed rose petal in a letter. When they came home changed, or when they didn’t come home at all, they remembered her and the simple beauty of the rose petal, or didn’t. She planted new roses in remembrance of the ones that couldn’t remember.

    “A rose,” her hands dark with honest dirt, “doesn’t care about your politics or your pride. It only cares about being present. That’s enough. That should be enough for all of us.”

    But it isn’t enough for us, is it? We are too clever for roses. Too important. Too busy conquering each other to notice that the conquering is killing the very thing we desire. We are all generals in armies of one, fighting wars that exist in the fever dreams of our own making.

    We try to find our ‘raison d’être’—the reason for being. I think the rose growers have found theirs. They understand what the warriors and the politicians and the urgent, angry people of the world have forgotten: that to create beauty is to pray without words, to tend something fragile in a world that mistakes hardness for strength.

    There is a parallel universe, I am certain, where human beings never learned to make weapons, only grow tend and enjoy roses. Where the great leaders of history are remembered not for the lands they conquered but for the gardens they planted. Where children learn the names of flowers before they learn the names of enemies. Where the evening news reports on the blooming of a particularly spectacular Peace rose instead of the latest bombing of peace itself.

    In this world, in this strange and savage world where we find ourselves, the rose growers are the resistance. They are the ones who remember that civilization is not about who can build the biggest bomb or shout the loudest or accumulate the most zeros in their bank accounts. Civilization is about the careful caring for small, beautiful things. It is about the patience to wait for buds to open. It is about understanding that some victories take seasons, not seconds.

    Listen: Tomorrow morning, somewhere in the world, an old man will wake before dawn to water his roses. He will not check his phone first or turn on the news to see what fresh hell has sprouted overnight. He will simply put on his boots and walk outside, where the roses wait for him like prayers he has already had answered.

    And in that moment, in that simple, revolutionary act of care, he will be more civilized than all the armies and all the politicians and all the urgent, angry people combined.

    The roses know this. The roses have always known this.

    Perhaps it’s time we listened.

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  • The Tender Rebellion

    The Tender Rebellion

    There is a small exquisite flower, the kind of flower that is never normally noticed. Now it becomes everything in her world.

    She kneels, cups in her hand its delicate petals, and something shifts, barely, but enough. Her chest unknots, the air seems lighter; breath, once shallow, deepens. The silence around her is no longer empty, but full. Here, in this fragile bloom that has pushed through stone and hardship, she witnesses creation’s gentle defiance, its simple grace offering strength to those who pause long enough to see. Its soft, mauve, silken petals against the stark grey rocks soothe her. If something so tender can survive here, then perhaps the world, in all its aching, will endure too, that there is strength even in the quietest forms, and time enough for both hardship and grace.

    She traces the flower’s stem with her fingertip, marveling at how something so slender could anchor itself in such unyielding ground. The roots, she imagines, must wind deep between the stones, finding moisture in hidden crevices, drawing sustenance from dust and shadow. What patience it must have taken, what faith in the possibility of light. She wonders how many storms this small survivor has weathered, how many harsh nights it has endured, clinging to life with a determination that puts her own struggles into perspective.

    The morning sun catches the translucent edges of the petals, and she sees now that what appeared to be simple purple holds within it threads of lavender and rose, veins of deeper color that map the flower’s quiet journey from seed to bloom. Each petal is a small miracle of architecture, curved and shaped by forces she cannot name, yet perfect in its asymmetry, beautiful in its imperfection. This is not the pristine beauty of cultivated gardens, but something rawer, more honest—beauty that has earned its place through sheer persistence.

    Around the flower, the stones tell their own stories. Weathered smooth by countless seasons, they bear the scars of time and elements, yet they too have their own quiet dignity. They have become the unlikely guardians of this tender life, their bulk providing shelter from the worst winds, their surfaces collecting dewdrops that will later nourish the roots below. What seemed at first like obstacles now reveal themselves as allies in the flower’s survival, partners in this dance of resilience.

    She sits back on her heels, hands resting in her lap, and lets her gaze soften. The world beyond this small circle of stone and bloom begins to fade. The urgent voices in her head, the endless list of things undone, the weight of all her accumulated worries—all of it recedes like a tide going out. In this moment, there is only this: the flower, the stones, the quality of light, the whisper of wind through the spaces between rocks. Time seems to expand, each second stretching like honey in the sun.

    How long has it been since she truly saw anything? Really saw, with the kind of attention that transforms the ordinary into the sacred? She cannot remember. Her days have been a blur of motion, of checking boxes and meeting deadlines, of managing crises and pushing through obstacles. But here, kneeling before this small altar of stone and petal, she remembers what it means to be still, to witness, to receive the gifts that life offers to those who slow down enough to notice.

    The flower asks nothing of her. It does not need her admiration or her protection. It simply exists, offering its beauty freely to anyone who happens to pass by. This generosity moves her more than she expects. In a world that often feels transactional, where everything has a price and nothing comes without strings attached, here is pure gift. The flower blooms not for applause but for the sheer joy of blooming, not for recognition but for the simple necessity of being itself.

    She thinks of her grandmother’s garden, how the old woman would spend hours tending plants that most would consider weeds. “Every living thing has its purpose,” her grandmother used to say, “even if we can’t see it yet.” At the time, the words seemed like the rambling of someone who had too much time on her hands. Now, faced with this small miracle of survival, she understands. Purpose isn’t always grand or obvious. Sometimes it’s as simple as adding one small note of beauty to an otherwise harsh landscape, as quiet as showing others that life is possible even in the most unlikely places.

    The shadows shift as the sun climbs higher, and she knows she will have to leave soon. The world is waiting with its demands and expectations, its noise and urgency. But she carries with her now something she did not have before: the knowledge that grace lives in the spaces between stones, that strength sometimes wears the face of tenderness, that hope can take root in the most impossible places.

    Rising slowly, she takes one last look at the flower, memorizing its exact shape, the way the light plays across its petals, the gentle curve of its stem. Tomorrow, when the weight of the world threatens to crush her spirit, she will remember this moment. She will remember that even in the darkest places, even when the ground seems too hard and the conditions too harsh, life finds a way. Beauty finds a way. Love finds a way.

    Walking back toward the path, she carries the flower with her—not in her hand, but in her heart, where it will bloom forever, a reminder that we are all more resilient than we know, more capable of grace than we dare to believe. The world, in all its aching, will endure. And so will she, with the quiet strength of stones and the tender courage of flowers that dare to bloom anyway.

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  • Foxglove’s dream

    Foxglove’s dream

    Tall they stand—bell-bodied, swaying like thoughts in a breeze not seen but deeply known. Each violet throat open, not for sound but for presence, as if the air itself leans close to listen. A song not sung, but grown.

    Green leaves cradle the stem like memory holds childhood: gently, protectively, with a strength that doesn’t shout. Flowers climb skyward in quiet succession, soft-lit and trembling with colour that feels like breath. Pink slips to purple, yellow winks like shy sunlight—clouds watching, wind writing verses no hand will catch.

    This is nature speaking in stillness. Not wild, but wise. A pleasure of form where nothing forces, only flows. Each bloom a word in the sentence of becoming, telling us: don’t chase beauty—stand in it. Let it rise from your root.

    Some minds may measure growth in numbers, names, futures hung on thick walls of logic. But this? This is another language. Not intellectual, but intuitive. Not fact, but felt. Even a child, wandering barefoot near such flowers, knows: this is truth blooming. A truth not to be studied, but to be trusted.

    And though the world teaches us to build—bigger, faster, louder—the flower teaches us to bloom, even in silence. Even unseen.

    This is not decoration. This is declaration: I am alive, and I am enough.

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  • Whispers on a Twig

    Whispers on a Twig

    Fling of wing, rustle of feather—small bird, clothed in cloudy splendour, perches light upon the slender arm of a greeny branch. Its eyes hold ancient silence, as if awakened just now by the wind’s first breeze. A gentle flame of coral hue ripples through its downy chest, as though morning itself has taken roost for a breath, for a thought.

    Flowers budding near, their petals curled in pink pause, shine not of sun but of secret light—nature’s quiet hymn to the world’s wonder. Each leaf, each breath of wind, speaks a language understood not in mind, but in the deep-knowing soul. A wave of wing, like a hand brushing sky, tells us: everything is possible. The fire of being, though soft and flickering, teaches us to rise. To build. To cherish.

    This bird, like the child’s future, hangs delicate in balance. Its form is of the familiar—society’s gaze, country’s breath, the world’s echo—but its path is uncertain. Intelligence may flicker bright in minds of many measure, profession may praise the cleverest spark, yet the bird’s heart, wild and still, is where true life pulses.

    Mind alone cannot cradle the soul. A bird caged in intellect forgets how to fly. And so, the lesson rests here: not in knowing, but in being. In listening to the leaf, in trusting the wind, in carrying the blooming branch not for survival, but for joy.

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  • Korean Fir: Odds-On Favorite.

    Korean Fir: Odds-On Favorite.

    And They’re Off! The Korean Fir Takes the Lead in Garden Excellence!

    LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE MOST SPECTACULAR CONIFER COMPETITION OF THE SEASON!

    Coming down the stretch, it’s Korean Fir by a nose!

    In the purple corner, weighing in at a steady 15-30 feet tall when fully mature, we have the MAGNIFICENT KOREAN FIR – Abies koreana to those keeping score at home! This beauty’s coming in at 3-to-1 odds for “Most Distinctive Cones in the Evergreen Division!”

    AND LOOK AT THOSE PURPLE CONES, FOLKS! Standing upright like tiny royal crowns, they’re absolutely STUNNING the competition! No other fir in this race can match that signature purple-cone combo – it’s a dead giveaway, ladies and gentlemen, a DEAD GIVEAWAY!

    The field is tight as they round the climate curve…

    Korean Fir’s showing its mountain breeding here – native to those high-altitude Korean peaks at 3,000 to 6,000 feet! This champion LOVES the cool, humid conditions, thrives in that 10-to-1 shot territory where other trees would fold under pressure! The bookmakers had this one figured for “Most Likely to Succeed in Cool, Moist Climates” and BY GOLLY, they were right!

    HERE COMES THE NEEDLE DESCRIPTION DOWN THE HOMESTRETCH!

    Those dark green, glossy needles arranged in a spiral pattern – *twisted at the base, folks, TWISTED AT THE BASE!* – they’re catching the light like emeralds! The white-banded undersides are flashing as Korean Fir makes its move on the outside! This tree’s got more character per square inch than a seasoned thoroughbred!

    And the soil conditions are PERFECT for this runner…

    Rich, moist, well-draining, slightly acidic – Korean Fir is IN ITS ELEMENT! The odds were 2-to-1 against any conifer handling these exact specifications, but this champion is making it look EASY! Full sun to partial shade? NO PROBLEM! This tree’s versatility is paying dividends!

    ATTENTION GARDENERS – WE HAVE A SLOW BUT STEADY WINNER!

    Don’t let that moderate growth rate fool you – Korean Fir’s playing the long game! 5-7 meters in cultivation, up to 12 in the wild – this is CONSISTENCY, people! The smart money’s been on this pyramid-shaped powerhouse all along!

    We have a problem: there’s the warning flag – extreme heat and humidity ahead!

    Korean Fir’s showing some vulnerability here, folks – those urban conditions and sweltering summers are this champion’s kryptonite! The odds just shifted to 5-to-1 AGAINST for “Surviving Houston Heat Waves!” But in cooler climates? This tree’s UNBEATABLE!

    LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AS THEY CROSS THE FINISH LINE…

    Korean Fir takes home the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit! The crowd’s going WILD! Those grayish-brown bark patches, those resin blisters, that perfect conical form – it’s a WINNER by every measure that counts!

    Final odds: Korean Fir – 1-to-1 favorite for “Best Ornamental Conifer for Cool Climate Gardens”

    WHAT A RACE, WHAT A TREE, WHAT A CHAMPION!

    And that’s a wrap from the Garden Track, folks – Korean Fir proving once again why it’s the champion of the conifer circuit!

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  • The Well Man at Evening’s Door

    The Well Man at Evening’s Door

    Evening light differs
    From morning’s golden promise
    Both bless the same earth

    Took this in the park in Cardiff

    Here stands one man, silver threading his temples, morning mirror showing lines like rivers carved by time’s patient hand. Sixty-seven winters behind, maybe ten, maybe twenty summers ahead—who knows the counting of Creator’s mathematics? Still he wakes each dawn asking the great question: what purpose burns in these old bones?

    Well man, good man, but world whispers confusion in his ears. Society machine tells him: retire, rest, fade into background like yesterday’s newspaper. But his soul—ah, his soul burns bright as noon sun, ideas flowing like spring rivers after winter’s breaking. Experience accumulates like treasures in deep caves of memory. Wisdom grows thick as ancient oak roots, spreading underground where no one sees but feeling everything.

    This is the great paradox, the beautiful wrestling: body aging like autumn leaves, but mind expanding like universe itself. He knows things now—real things, true things. How love matters more than money-making. How kindness ripples through world like stones thrown in still water. How one well word can heal wounds deeper than doctor’s medicine.

    Yet world-machine keeps grinding, making noise: “Too old, too late, step aside for young lions.” But well man knows secret truth—wisdom is not young thing, not hasty thing. Wisdom is patient fire, burning slow and steady, lighting paths for others walking in darkness.

    Every morning he rises like warrior preparing for battle, not against enemies but against despair, against the small voice saying “finished, done, nothing left.” No! Life is great story still being written. Each day new page, new possibility for goodness to flow through willing vessel.

    Well man at evening of life discovers morning never really ends—just changes color, becomes deeper, more beautiful. Like wine aging in cellar, growing richer, more complex, more valuable with time passing. His purpose not shrinking but concentrating, becoming pure essence of what matters most.

    This is why every breath sacred, every heartbeat holy drum calling him forward. Not to great achievements world measures, but to small-great things: listening deeply to grandchild’s story, helping neighbor carry heavy burden, sharing hard-earned wisdom with anyone who stops to hear.

    Well man, well life, well purpose—never too late for goodness to bloom, never too old for love to find new ways of flowing. Evening light different from morning light, but both beautiful, both necessary, both blessing from Creator’s generous hand.

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  • Elegance in Blue

    Elegance in Blue

    There’s something about this image that quiets the noise in my head. It’s not just a flower—it’s the iris, regal in its posture, soft yet striking in its hue. That shade of blue, almost whispering lilac, feels like a memory I never lived but somehow still know. The petals fold like silk caught in a breeze, elegant and deliberate, each line a testament to nature’s precision and grace.

    I think I love this image because it captures fragility without weakness. The iris doesn’t scream for attention—it simply exists, calm and sure of its beauty. The contrast between the softness of the petals and the structure of the stem reminds me that strength can look gentle, too.

    And maybe it’s the way the bud sits below the bloom, full of promise, not yet opened but already perfect. It feels like a moment paused, a breath held between what was and what will be. This flower doesn’t just represent beauty—it feels like hope. Silent. Still. But alive.

    My other Iris post.

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