Marla Coppolino, a frequent visitor to the Conservatory, has penned a follow-up to her An Ode to a Titan Arum: Wee Stinky:
You did it! You delivered! You didn’t let us down
Your blossom unfurled right on time, like a dazzling gown
Your volatiles overwhelmed our olfactory sense
And seeped into our clothing fibers like a pungent incense
Revolting stink, like rotting flesh in stages of decay
Or a garbage truck overturned on a torrid day
Putrid, foul, fetor, funk, your stinky stench did reek
So strong that someone phoned 911 to report a gas leak
However stinky, we were awed by your spadix standing tall
Your inner spathe’s burgundy elegance overcame us all
We love you, Wee Stinky, even after your great spadix’s last sigh
Should anyone dislike you, we’ll give them the ol’ stink eye!
©2018 Marla Coppolino