Flower Rocket

You can listen to me reading this poem here.

A rocket went up
Into the sky today,
And from its thrusters
There came
A great unbroken stream
Of potpourri,
And inside the rocket,
Every room
And every bay
And every locker
Was full of flowers:
Red ones,
Blue ones,
Flowers whose petals
Were shaped like bottles,
Flowers whose odours
Evoked memories
Of grandmothers.
Flying the rocket
Were flower-people in uniforms
With big flower-shaped heads,
And the two lieutenant flowers
Saluted to the captain flower
And smiled,
And the captain flower
Saluted back
And smiled,
And the rocket went up and up
And around and around.
And when it reached
Its apogee,
One of the lieutenant flowers
Wrote down
Their exact distance
From the directrix:
An imaginary line
Above their heads
That went out into space
And touched the edges
Of the universe.
And the lieutenant flowers
And the captain flower
All looked at each other,
And they smiled.
And then the rocket
began to fall,
And the potpourri
That came streaming
From its thrusters
Now sprayed upwards
Like the water sprinkler
In Piccadilly Gardens.
And it continued
To fall;
It plunged,
It plummeted,
It dropped like
A plump peach.
And at twelve minutes
Past four
On Tuesday, the 23rd
Of May,
One hour
And thirty-seven minutes
After it was launched,
It entered the waters
Of the Pacific Ocean
At Point Nemo.
But now,
Instead of falling,
It was passed from palm
To palm
By the great watery hands
That lie in the ocean,
And wait
For the signal
To applaud.
The ship tumbled
And spun,
And bubbles went up
To the surface
As it sank.
Finally,
Its nose hit
The bottom
Of the Ocean
And slowly,
As though bruised,
It lowered itself
And lay down
On the Ocean bed.
All the flowers
Were dead.
The flower-people had taken
Revolvers
Out of their holsters
And blown their heads off
Ten minutes previously.
And when the metal
Of the rocket
was no longer
Too hot,
Fish would come up
And look through the windows
And mouth words
That are not
In any dictionary
And will never be
Spoken.

Extracts from A Botanical Grimoire

i) Barking Moss can be found in the shadow of a dog rose. If you scratch it behind your ear, it is said to diminish dental pain and improve the sense of smell.

ii) The Nightcap has been located at the eleventh hour during a full moon. Drunk from a small glass with water and ice, it has a soporific effect and causes you to think well of friends.

iii) Wishing Veil grows on moist wood in cool darkness. It should be drunk from a basin of fresh water on your birthday. It is said to focus the mind on its deepest desires.

iv) Drowning David is often seen on the banks of still lakes. It can be rubbed on the eyelids to stimulate periods of reflection. However, it can cause weakness in the upper arm and thigh.

v) Droop has been collected at the bottom of steep valleys. Its potent odour can be inhaled through the nose when the head is lowered. It can induce sleep and feelings of low self-worth.

vi) Yellow Eye is found in abundance in woods and tall grass. Its small bright petals can be infused to make a mild, sour tea. It is reported to enhance night vision and provoke surliness.

vii) Bitterweed is usually observed in wetlands or shallow water. It should be eaten immediately after it is plucked. It improves caution, but excess usage may lead to troubling dreams.

viii) Creep can be found clinging to drainpipes and windowsills. It prefers the dark and takes the form of short, stubby fingers. It is often taken against procrastination but can induce psychosis.

ix) Icy Ismaril is said to grow just under a thin layer of snow. It is often recommended in cases of romantic difficulty such as unrequited affection. Strong doses may cause cynicism or emotional distance.

With thanks to the makers of the game Strange Horticulture, which inspired this piece.