Everywhere you go

by Josh Lee, 2005

The parasitic orchid attaches itself,
Minus permission, to yearning hands.
Soon all trees want one.
Maybe not the same orchid,
But it has to be an orchid.
Once infiltrated, more will come.
Only the ghost will remain in books, read by self indulged teenagers.
It's only commonplace to see an orchid on a tree
Now. Stealing the beauty away,
From untainted landscapes and bright colors.

The brown emanates from the bottle
cooled by the touch of dawn.
The leftover Indians drink from the bottle.
What's in it,
Killed them. The remaining
Do not resist. The remaining
Do not exist.
It can be found everywhere,
Manipulating tribes and thoughts to kill their own.
Swimmingly they march,
Alongside Hannibal, Genghis Kahn, Alexander, bush.
They leave a wake of filth,
A permanent stain embellished by burnt laps.
Be like us.
It's the only way.