Spiky and Prickly

Spiky and Prickly
Two brothers in arms
All thorny thrusts
Of aggression
In potted islands of their own.

Cacti have a quiet intimacy
An arrogance of their own
More graceful than flowers
Embedded upon gracious lawns.

I fear Spiky is impotent
For he refuses to bud and blossom
While Prickly blissfully multiplies
Out of his potted throne.

But Spiky is cozy and content
A surreal thimble
Of sheer elegance
I can quite believe
Why the sheer poetry
Of His Beauty
Mustn't be repeated.

Prickly is a try hard go getter
Less privileged and
Yet luckier
Blessed with confidence
His fecundity
Is truly pluckier.

And now
I'm thinking
Whether people
Or plants
It's truly getting clearer
We need to appreciate
Them as they are.
And Thank God
For they're dearer

When we let them live
And let them be
Just watch the show
How each will grow
And bask in the sun
Of their own beliefs.

(c) Amrita Valan 2017