Downtrodden Banksia

Banksia integrifolia

Dry and empty, dwelt in the tents of the wicked,

Ancient and cold, a forgone symbol dons their chests.

Bold and intrepid, voices powerful and booming,

Nectar sweeter than the waters of the womb.

Banksia ashbyi

Fair and blonde, the sun filters on downtrodden land. 

The dusty plains crisp under the southern heat.

Zestful and rugged, leaves wither to the ground.

Banksia ericifolia

Voices echo the nations,

Families wretched at their name,

Failing stems brush against the wattle,

Moving ever-forward, never back. 

Wales’s south, brown and sunburnt.

The masquerade of a fresh-pressed lapel.

Banksia menziesii

Sweet and supple, mother nature provides. 

Cold and sticky, entrapped by the firm.

Withered, leaning and burnt, the banksia.