Titan Arum (Corpse Flower)
You're Not dead
They watch you from afar.
Intrigued by your strangeness, while disgusted by your presence.
They don’t want to get too close.
Is it fear, or judgement?
--
They say you stink, like garlic or rotting fish.
Some claim you make them sick.
They say they don’t understand why you’re here.
They think you don't belong.
--
They say you serve no purpose,
And that nobody wants you.
You’re only desired by carrion beetles and flesh flies.
The lowest of the low, they say.
--
So, they stand back.
They watch you from behind their self-assembled barriers.
And they laugh.
They make crude, disgusting jokes,
And they don’t care how they sound.
--
They never think about you.
They never see the real you because they don’t want to.
--
But I see you, and I think you belong.
You’re a flower.
You are worthy.
You do have purpose.
--
So, go ahead and bloom.
Stand tall. Spread your aura.
Be yourself and let them know that no matter what they call you,
You’re not dead.
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
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Comments (30)
What a lovely poem and I learned so much about a corpse flower which I had never heard of before. Great Job!
I love the layers in this poem. Well done!
This is beautiful. I love it. Great job.
And when they bloom, people who see their worth come from miles around.
I love your take on this challenge!
Excellent challenge entry my friend.
This is amazing, Cathy!
Powerful, beautiful, empowering, lots of words...basically. I loved it and that feels like another free-pointer!
I think the flower looks like the inside of a volcano! Starting to spew lava! So powerful and hard to take your eyes off of. Thank you.❤️
This was great, I love the empowering message! So well written! Subscribing for more!
Loved the last line, great twist ❤️
Thought provoking. Thank you!
I wrote about this flower a few days ago too. Never knew it existed. Phew!
Excellent words! Loved it.
The blossoming and being alive perfectly end this gem, very nice cathy 😀
Nice sentiment, so uplifting! Love the subject!
Awwwe love this powerful message
This is so encouraging! Love it, Cathy! 💕
That has such a positive message.
Beuatiful!
Cathy Holmes There is so much Good stuff I want to say about this Inspiring piece of work💞🦋🎯💯❤️👍✌️😉🌟❗❗❗❗❗Thanks for sharing 💞😊
Aw I really feel this does the flower justice. Very powerful!
This was a tear jerker! So sad yet so inspirational! Very beautifully written, my friend!
Brilliant!!! Loved it!!!
This will be my new theme