The Flowers

He smells the flowers
But is blind and cannot see
Lost in the meadow

She sees the flowers
Their eternal beauty shines
But ghosts cannot feel

He feels the flowers
Brings a petal to his mouth
His taste is extinct

She tastes the flowers
Bittersweet tears cry in pain
But their voice is mute

I hear the flowers
They tell a tragic story
Dead, fragrant no more

Five Haikus, in a cycle of gaining one sense at the expense of another.  If there exists any message behind the words, its probably that if a human and an object of great beauty coexist, one will succumb to the effects of the other.

This idea is not new.  In The Odyssey, there were Sirens whose songs were the most beautiful sounds to ever grace the planet.  Unfortunately, anyone unlucky enough to hear the sounds will meet an impending doom of hearing the songs and forsaking all other necessities including food and drink, possibly even breath.

Many poisonous animals employ vibrant moving colors which would captivate the eye, but should one approach too closely, a downfall involving potent neurotoxins awaits.  Of course, some people kill and preserve these animals to admire their beauty, but this of course leaves said animal dead.

To survive, everything needs some form of defense mechanism.  An object/animal/plant of beauty’s defense lies not in its appearance, so they more often use the element of surprise.  Woe to the innocent observer who gets too close then, and is jumped upon by such a defense mechanism.  Either it is potent enough to harm the observer sufficiently, or it is not and the observer retaliates, destroying the object/animal/plant of beauty.  Thus, unless under special circumstances, they cannot coexist.