Wildflower

JH Mancy

Tallebudgera, Queensland

Australia

 

Wild Competition Entry

Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places. Like the neglected building site I regularly pass on my way to somewhere else.

Old bricks and roofing iron lie on the ground in haphazard piles. Remnants of an ancient chimney rest forlornly, awaiting rebirth.

Un-mown grass and weeds struggle against the elements, whilst providing tenuous shelter for small creatures, intent on remaining invisible to other, bigger creatures. Who, ever vigilant, watch and listen for the slightest timorous sound of movement which will enable them to hone in on their next meal. An elusive smorgasbord of take-away delights.

Surrounding this hodgepodge of habitation is a derelict weldmesh fence, badly in need of repair.

As a human creature I am discouraged by law from venturing in to this urban wilderness. The padlocked gate has no great deterrent value however. It leans inward, its frame supported by a half quota of loose screws in rusting hinges. The remaining screws lie neglected on half-baked earth.

A lone vine, tendril reaching ever higher, snakes its way to the top as if seeking to free itself from the imprisoning gate. There, at the very pinnacle, blooms a single flower. Majestic in purple splendour, quietly it shouts a message.

‘I have arrived!’