Thursday 5 January 2012

Catching a Bird of Paradise


My motto for Day 4 of my “Be Inspired” Resolution: Exotic Flowers Spark Exotic Thoughts! My Plan:   Go to a florist, purchase an exotic cut flower and then come up with as many associations as I can. Normally, I would make a beeline for lilies and more specifically orchids, but I eliminated them from the ranks today. I wanted to find something new. Stumbling into the green oasis that is our local flower shop was already a great change of atmosphere compared to the damp, grey streets of winter outside. Taking a deep breath of the fragrant air, I relished the sudden explosion of colour and rich scents. Conscientious as an explorer of exotic lands, I set about making my selection. Big or small? Delicate or bold? Rich in colour or intriguing in shape? Hovering like a hummingbird between the exotic blooms, I finally managed to catch myself a “Bird of Paradise” - also known as Strelitzia reginae among people with a green thumb. 

Photocredit to banana-tree.com

The first thought that came to mind was that the flower actually looked like sun-flare dragon hatching from a shimmering green egg. Furthermore, I could also see the birth of a phoenix: freshly hatched on the left to spreading it wings and taking flight on the right. Or it could be the wind-blown sails of a great ship upon a sapphire-coloured sea on a quest to the land where sun and water meet. My fantasy was certainly sparked and I noted down ideas for a good 20 minutes. 

The one that I liked best casts my bird of paradise as the tribal symbol for a tribe of warriors known for their deathly beauty and exotic fighting style. Their weapons are sharp as the edges of the plant, their poisons bold and lethal like the colours of the bloom. The tribe worships the sun and strike with the last blue blade slicing night from day and day from night.

I admit, I tend to be a fancy thinker.


What do you see?


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