Unassuming
with a touch of humility
cultivated through the years,
the Mayapple – Podophyllum Pelatatum
grow in woodland patches
of humus, layers of leaves
dry and wet blanket their bed
as stalks push through in early
spring when the nights are
cool and you least expect to find
a commune of wildflowers.  Leaves
wrapped tight
like the green of a new cut lime,
waxed, shiny canopy unfurl delicately.
Large leaves, nature’s umbrellas open
over delicate flowers on each stem, 
a hanging surprise popping like a
jack-in-the-box, the rhizomataus
colony cascades along the corridor
of the walking path, spilling down the
edges of the ridge.