Today's Flowers . . . .

. . . is . . .
Bogart's Orchid

. . . this is my continuing tribute to my late brother Bogart who loved flowers. It is also my tribute to all his human flower friends from around the world who accepted him into their world . . .

Bogart's favorite daily task
was to sniff around our house Heaven.
Other dogs sniff for bomb or illegal drugs
but my brother sniffs the air
for other things he finds most important.
And when he finds his target
he howls and waits for Keeper
to present her this . . .

It was one of our orchid plants
preparing to bloom . . .

. . . like mini ladders going up and up
the leaves started opening up
to reveal another leaf and another . . .

. . . the leaves opening one on top of the other
and you'll never know when it will stop!
But watching Bogart waiting beside it
I know it is going to be a long wait . . .

. . . and so we played and slept beside it.
Until one day, the leaves stopped
growing one on top of each other
and soon, something grows inside it
and sings!
There!
Can you see it?
Those little leaf-like stuff shoots up
and Bogart excitedly barks at Keeper!

So, Keeper and Bogart waits
camera in hand
dog and hooman
singing with the flowers!
I never really understood it.

They wait for this event:

. . . when those tiny stuff
grows into magenta bulbs . . .
. . . that sing so well!
. . . I am not really fond of this flower singing.
Their haunting shrill singing was pretty jarring to my ears.
But not for Bogart and Keeper!

They wait together
until one morning
the flowers open
and they all sing!
. . . and that's when I bark endlessly!
You see, that's what happens
when there's some excitement
and I see everybody singing
I bark like there's no tomorrow!
. . . especially when Keeper holds it in her hands
and I sniff it cluelessly
hoping for something chewable
or something to play around with
but I am told we can not play with it!

It can stay and rock on the chair . . .

. . . or even have sleepovers in my house . . .

. . . or simply sit prettily on the table . . .

. . . but mostly,
it sits beside us . . .
. . . looking like one of us . . .

. . . and we sing and laugh with it . . .

. . . and when we feel bored and sleepy
. . . it remained sitting with us!

. . . but like everything . . .
it has endings too.


On the day that Bogart died
as I was walking aimlessly
down the flower garden
that my brother loves so much
I found our orchid . . .
. . . looking lifeless
and no sound emanated from it!

The petals were wilting
and its edges were fading
signaling its end . . .
. . . seemingly leaving as well . . .


I will never understand flowers
and why Bogart love it so much
when you can not eat nor play with it.

Someday,
I will understand.
Someday, I will bark to Keeper too.
Someday, I will own these flowers
and yes, someday
I will finally understand
and love their stories as well.

For now, it would be best to go
and visit Bogart's flower friends at TodaysFlowers
and maybe you will understand and know their stories.