Deep and still the pond demands respect,

look but do not touch

Murky, sludge, thick and green. Like a one-sided mirror,

its underbelly hiding, accepting no reflection from the sun

Just a hint of ancient story escapes the secret world as nymphaea pods explode the

surface,

refusing to be trapped

like prisoners  in a cell

Murky sludge, thick and green keeps invaders well away,

except to wonder at the beauty of the lily pods,

perching serenely

on rounds of recumbent, floating leaves

Make no splash or disturb with a curious poke

Guard like, the sludge-green water watches from a stilled and stern position, it surrounds

the glorious nymphaea’s, and they

without a hint of compromise, raise their pastel petals to the sun

They grow,

they bloom and show their splendour to the world,

before retreating to the murkiness

of the secrets deep below

Different to the human world?

Maybe not!

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