Sandra Gibson celebrates the persistence of wildlife in urban conditions.

Bluebells

Shimmering drift of blue
in dappled sunlight.
Smoke-blue in bud,
bluebells open and lighten
and last long
unless you pick them.

Therefore,
leave them;
accumulate the experience:
cool leaves, green dappled light
and twinkling shade.
Accept
the shimmering gift of cool blue
inseparable from woodland light.

Photograph by Geoff Edwards

*Also known as Rose Bay Willow Herb, the prolific wild flower called Fireweed, five feet tall with spikes of magenta flowers, cheers the hearts of those whose cityscape has become a bomb site or whose buildings have been cleared by machine. The dormant seeds spring to life after destructive events such as forest or man-made fires, hence the name, Fireweed. This occasional column will celebrate the persistence of wildlife in urban conditions.