Ode to the Hibiscus Bush

(Horatian Ode in Iambic Pentameter with ababcdecde Rhyme Scheme)


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The tranquility of valley and hills,
Allows the mind to wander like the clouds,
Above the tree tops with their many thrills,
As nervous leaves rustle in mystic shrouds.
They shadow time each passing day anew,
And patiently wait for the rising sun,
To fill their chlorophyll sacs to the brim;
They thirst for summer rains and morning dew,
To spark their blooms before the day is done,
With Hawaiian pride that glows from each limb.

There are gardens ablaze with rainbow hue;
Around mansions tall and at cottage doors,
Bringing hope to the soul with every view,
These gems of nature, everyone adores
The blooms of hibiscus, across the land,
Are apparels of celestial light!
Heavenly bliss wrapped up in each flower;
Displays the glory of God’ master plan;
For we are never alone in His sight,
And each flower that opens shows His power.

It is not uncommon to see, intense
Malvaceae plants, like rails on display,
As growing walls of glamorous defence!
The privacy of folks sustained each day,
From prying eyes, this veil of green and blooms,
Provokes no scorn but deep admiration;
Hibiscus fences do make good neighbours,
Their funnel shaped flowers craft grand costumes,
And do arouse an investigation,
Into their floral extract and colours.

Their calypso tones, you know very well;
With petals of exaggerated pride,
And self-confidence, does within them dwell;
For their Latin roots are not brushed aside,
So the scentless hibiscus, we respect
Their photosynthesizing in the light,
As growers do hybrid engineering,
So their shades and sizes become perfect,
With petals of culinary delight;
No wonder, folks find them mesmerising.

From Asia, and the Pacific islands,
Hibiscus bush! You have roamed from your home;
To Hawaii, the Caribbean lands,
And Whangaparaoa’s rich coastal loam,
There you blossom truly with little care,
To flaunt your deep green leaves, and lavish hues,
In sub-tropical breeze and torrid peeves;
Single or double petals, as you choose
From your many species, you wear with flair;
The ant cuddles up to your feet, and leaves.

Humming birds with branching turns, pirouette,
To catch pollen dust, from your golden-wand;
More alluring, and bright than a rosette,
And your therapeutic worth is so fond.
What leaf-fringed legend haunts about your bush,
Of heart disease, cholesterol and tea,
And how hibiscus takes fat from the tush
In China lands, and in the West Indies!
What glint of truth, is in any of these
Herbal cook ups, served from a potpourri?

©Paterika Hengreaves
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On the well kept grounds of Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, Barbados are to be found lovely hibiscus hedges. These malvaceae plants are found elsewhere where the climate is conducive to their growing ways. Never thought that the hibiscus with their environmental appeal would play an important role in helping me to decide which place to stay during my travels abroad. We are always faced with strange surprises.

The flight from the tiny Caribbean island half-way round the world caused me to take three stop overs. The first stop was Miami, the second stop was Los Angeles and the final destination point was Auckland. It was a pleasant half-hour drive from the Auckland International Airport to the Kiwi International Hotel where I got the much needed sleep and to recover from jet lag having crossed so many time zones. Next day I took off by motor car and drove north in search of a place to call my temporary home. I stumbled on a beautiful view that reminded me so very much of the coastal areas of Christ Church, Barbados. There and then, I knew I had found my watering hole, lol that carries the name of floral hedge I alluded you to in my opening paragraph. It took my heart. Yes, the name gave me that warm feeling in the dead of a New Zealand winter where I found myself.

Yes, there is a place called Hibiscus Coast in the northern end of Auckland in northern New Zealand on the stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast with beautiful beaches. Hibiscus Coasts runs from the Whangaparaoa Peninsula towards Kawau Island. Its main town is Orewa with spectacular vegetation all around, rolling hills, fauna, great malls and beaches. No regrets whatsoever for having found that area in “The Land of the Long White Cloud” in the Rodney District. I could not have selected a better place for I got the best of both worlds...a touch of Barbados and Kiwi hospitality. This moment had to be captured, so I took out my musing pad and wrote this poem to capture the beauty of a flower that played a key role in helping me to make up my mind on the place to stay and truly it deserves to be the emblem of the Hibiscus Coast in New Zealand.