Plant Poetry by Markus Hamence – 17 June 2024

Punk Ode to the Cactus

In the barren wasteland, under the searing sun,
Stands the cactus, defiant, a rebel, undone.
No velvet petals, no sweet perfume,
Just spikes and thorns in a desert tomb.

Screw your orchids, your daisies, your roses red,
I’m the cactus, with a spiky crown on my head.
I don’t need your water, your tender care,
I thrive in the harshness, in the dry, arid air.

Roots deep in the dust, arms raised in the sky,
A punk in the plant world, I’m born to defy.
I won’t wilt or wither when the heat cranks high,
I stand tall and proud, watch the weaklings die.

My flowers are fleeting, but don’t be deceived,
In this cruel world, I’ll never be bereaved.
I’m a symbol of strength, of grit, and disdain,
A survivor, a fighter, in sun or in rain.

So this the cactus, the punk rock of plants,
Who thrives in the tough spots, and never recants.
With spines for armour and a spirit so wild,
The cactus, my friend, is punk nature’s child.