I’ve been resting at home this week, easing through a spell of stroke fatigue while the rain keeps falling outside. This poem has come together slowly over three days — written in quiet moments when my energy allowed — sparked by the return of my orchids and the memories they carry.
Over at Weekly Prompts, the Colour Challenge for October is Orange. To visit their fabulous site, please click on >> Here
The Orchid’s Story
It’s been nearly a decade
since your smiling blooms
softly touched my memories.
You were my father’s beloved orchids,
a living keepsake I inherited
when I moved into my Shangri‑La —
he would be so proud to see you now.
While you’ve been quietly hibernating,
my river of life has ebbed and flowed.
beneath familiar bridges
and over jagged ridges
A fascinating tourist trip to China,
but sadly followed by two more strokes.
Phenomenally, I recovered in time
to board the plane to America
for a debut visit to see my Philadelphia cousins.
Luckily, you were still cosily asleep
during the worldwide COVID calamity.
After a couple of chaotic years,
the catastrophic disease dissipated.
However, not to be outgunned,
cataclysmically, wars of the world
repossessed the planet
like a prehistoric curse.
Fortuitously, during the spring of last year
I was able to visit my Canadian cousins
on Vancouver Island and Alberta —
showed me the scenic sights
and treated me like a poetic prince.
And now you stand, clandestine after all this time,
on your piece of pristine and palatial residence
colourfully and nonchalantly smiling at me today,
as if everything were back to normal,
While the rain softly taps at the windows, the orchids silently bloom again — a quiet reminder of resilience, as the flowers tell their story once more.
Ivor Steven © October 2026
