If pride was a plant
What sort of flowers would it bear?

Up at the top
Brassy, harsh, thorny
Looking down on the rest of us

And there in the middle
Full of confidence
Bright blooms, all the colours of the rainbow
Basking in the warmth of the sun.

But wait. Down near the ground is another flower.
More modest
A little shy
A newly opened bud
You might just pass it by


But it smells so sweetly
And every petal - pure perfection.

By Michael Hannah in memory of William Cushnie RIP