The Houseplant

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A modern fable in verse. Wise Monkey Wrought scroll N.022, "The Houseplant." The first houseplant came with a care card. The second came with a price sticker. Only one of them is still alive. A houseplant sat upon the sill, a gift with care instructions tied. It asked for water, light, and skill, and got attention. Then it died. Its replacement, cheap and green, was bought and promptly left alone. No fuss, no feeding, rarely seen, it grew like ivy over stone. The owner, puzzled, bought a book. It spoke of loam, and how to pour. He gave the green one one more look, then watered it. It grew no more. The owner, beaten, walked away, and let the green thing have its head. It climbed the curtain, claimed the bay, and ran the windowsill instead. Neglect, it turns out, is a kind of respect. Too much care can drown a thing.