Snake's Head Fritillary (Poetry)

Close by a fence on a narrow strip of green
more ragged weed than grass
and the more remarkable for that
just a few feet from the tarmac path — incongruous
its purple chequered art
blooming too shy to draw attention.
While strings of pedestrians passed
too small-town busy in their tasks
to notice that so-perfect frail
and finely-patterned head.

Back and forth and unaware —
blind-eyed to the unusual — careless of the rare event
so they missed it — the small miracle that grew
and thrived however briefly
took a risk and raised
one oddly-named orphan flower there.