keeping watch for dragons #7 – Bog Dragon
Some dragons like to live in bogs.
When we were in Nova Scotia, near Peggy’s Cove, imagine my delight when I found, among the Pitcher-plants, a species of the orchid family, Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa L.), also known as the Dragon’s Mouth Orchid.
Arethusa loves wet, boggy conditions. Among the greens and reds of the low-lying bog, it surprises a visitor with its splash of pink. Even the Pitcher-plants in the photo above look a little over-come with the beauty of the Dragon’s Mouth!
This orchid has a complex flower, with three thin flaring upper petals, two in-turned petals guarding its ‘mouth’ and a lower lip with yellow and white fringed crests.
Arethusa is named after a Naiad in Greek mythology. The Naiads were nymphs associated with fresh water features such as springs, wells, fountains and brooks. Nymphs, like plants, were dependant on their habitat… if the water where they lived dried up, they perished.
Perhaps a Bog Dragon is also absolutely dependant on the water held within the bog!!!
~
~
Bog Dragon
Arethusa bulbosa L.
~
naiad
masquerades as dragon,
claps her hands across her mouth,
sorry to have spoken –
her voice, her pink, her petals
lure them,
their large feet and tugging hands
too near
~
~
© Jane Tims 2012
nichepoetryandprose 
Wonderful poem. And such a pretty orchid. I do hope the Naiads here survive the drought.
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Robin
July 18, 2012 at 9:06 am
Hi Robin. Me too. Water is a very important resource. For about 10 years I worked on watershed protection, so I have spent lots of time thinking about drought. But fortunately, I have never experienced it. Everything’s global now, so the problems my end up with us anyway (availability of some foods). Keep cool and enjoy your pond and its wild life! Jane
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jane tims
July 18, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Beautiful! Wonderful poem.
Bog Dragon’s look very similar to our Lady Slippers. Both orchid bog lovers.
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seedbud
July 16, 2012 at 6:57 am
Hi. I love orchids too… they look so unusual and they are relatively uncommon. We have Lady Slippers in our woods. Jane
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jane tims
July 16, 2012 at 8:27 am
Looks fabulous, love the poem too. Wildflowers are doing really well in England this year, due to the excessive rain!
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dfb
July 15, 2012 at 9:42 am
Hi. Thanks. We are so dry here, and there is not much rain in the immediate forecast. Glad your wildflowers are getting a good drink! Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Hi Jane. I also agree with Carol; I love the image of the orchid’s hand across her mouth, sorry to have spoken. And I’ve been cogitating on whether, with the large feet and tugging hands, the orchid thought of you and your husband as her bog dragon! 🙂
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Jane Fritz
July 15, 2012 at 9:01 am
Hi. You are probably right! I actually have quite a few photos of feet near the flower being photographed, but although it would have been funny, feet are just feet. Jane P.S. I would never pick or step on Arethusa….
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Bogs have such an otherworldly look to them!
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Watching Seasons
July 15, 2012 at 12:30 am
Hi. Wetlands are usually undervalued in our world. It is too bad, because they have interesting plants and animals, contribute to biodiversity and are places where our water is stored. I find your posts help to show people the value of these and other wild places. Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 8:15 am
Nicely done poem Jane!
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JD
July 14, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Hi Denis. This poem flowed so easily. The unfortunate thing about my ‘blog poems’ is that magazines will not usually accept them for publication if they have been published on a blog. Fortunately, book publishers will accept them, as long as the percentage of ‘blog poems’ is low in the whole manuscript. This creates a bit of a dilemna for me, since I want to publish my work, but want to keep my options open and I love to share my work in my posts. Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 8:22 am
Yes, I remember mentioning that fact to you about publishers not accepting poems already posted on blogs. The unfortunate thing is, is that there are hundreds and thousands of amateur poets or simply people who think they are poets flooding these same magazines. Most times these magazines don’t even look at your work submitted for years or simply don’t accept submissions anymore because they are swamped. SO … which brings me to my next question … if they feel that poems posted on private blogs are considered “published material” then can an aspiring poet … post some of their poems to a blog … and call them selves “published”? To me this is a catch 22 situation. It’s becoming like a lottery … the same goes with photography. Someone who might be considered an excellent poet or photographer finds themselves competing with the millions of articles of crap being submitted and becoming lost in the deluge. OK I’ve ranted enough 🙂
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JD
July 15, 2012 at 11:33 am
Hi. It is a difficult situation, but expected when the industry undergoes the huge transition currently occurring. I crave publication, but everyone doesn’t feel this way. Mostly I want people to read my work and the blog certainly assists with this goal. So I balance carefully, often writing two poems, one suitable for my blog post and another that might be suitable for publication. Sometimes I think my best poems are the ones in my posts!! Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 4:49 pm
A special treat for your day;… dragon’s lure…. Thanks so much for sharing it’s beauty with us.
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snowbirdpress
July 14, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Hi Merrill. Thanks for your support! I think we all need a little whimsy in our lives! Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 8:25 am
Well, I hope all the whimsy that comes our way is as lovely as these dragons in your terrarium! 🙂 Merrill
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snowbirdpress
July 15, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Another dragon…Yay! I really like the poem as well. I agree with Carol on your personification.
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weedimageoftheday
July 14, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Hi. There are a lot of ‘dragons’ out there. Thanks! Jane
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jane tims
July 15, 2012 at 8:23 am
Lovely photos. I enjoyed the poem and the personification of the orchid…in clasps her hands across her mouth sorry to have spoken. Terrific.
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Carol Steel
July 14, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Hi Carol. Thanks. I like knowing what parts of the poem people like. You have good instincts, so your comments are always appreciated. Jane
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jane tims
July 14, 2012 at 3:12 pm