One thinks of the polyanthus as a denizen of gardens, brightening flower beds and rockeries with its range of bold red and golden petals. Garfield Taylor uncovers it in the wild in this sample for his collection White Horses (The Book Guild Ltd).

A former banker, Mr Taylor lives in Scarborough, where the surrounding landscapes and seascapes, and their plants and birds, offer many of the themes of his gently engaging verses.

POLYANTHUS

Between two rocks

The Polyanthus grows,

Tucked in a crevice

By the waterfall.

Its dark green leaves

A parasol,

Rest upon the mossy stones

Absorbing light.

Deep down, its crown

Nestles in the overhang,

Keeping shade;

To sprout new shoots

And send down roots

Through niches and cracks

Where moisture clings

To adjacent rocks.

In Spring its flowers

Bloom red and amber,

Peeping from the stones

To catch the sun;

And Summer’s heat

Dries out the pods

Whose seeds spill out

Upon the grass below.