Wild Thistle

To see the world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. (Willian Blake)

A weed is but an unloved flower. (Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

Can you believe this wild flower is a weed? A plant pest! Unwanted. Unnoticed. Yet, if you take a minute to actually look at it, it is gorgeous. This particular "pest" is known as a wild thistle. Although there are many species of thistles around the world, this thistle belongs to the Marsh Thistle family.

The colour purple on this thistle is simple breathtaking. A symbol of royalty and nobility, the purple colour certainly caught my eye as I was taking my morning walks. I could not help but stop and take some pictures of it.


The name thistle is a national symbol of Scotland. Hmm..why would Scotland choose a weed to be their national symbol? Well, the story goes like this... when the Vikings invaded Scotland, the sleeping Scots were saved when one of the attackers trod on a wild thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm and the roused Scots duly defeated the Danes. Hehe...saved by the thistle!
The grasshopper takes the lead in summer luxury ...he has never done with his delights, for when tired out with fun, he rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed. (John Keats)

Thoughts...
Child abandonment comes to my mind when I look at these beautiful yet unwanted flowers. Cases such as these are increasing tremendously in our nation, unfortunately. Poverty used to be the root cause of abandoning babies but not today. Fear. Shame. Irresponsibility. Stupidity! Recently (17 May 2010 The Malaysian Insider), a senator proposed that men who were responsible for babies to be abandoned should be castrated. Well, it takes two to tango! Women (or mostly, teenagers) have to be responsible too. It all boils down to the family institution and values. What is happening to the Asian world nowadays? Family values are evaporating fast. I have read about babies being dumped into drains and dogs eating them. I have read about gang rapes in school and causing unwanted pregnancy. We, like any other government, do whatever necessary to create awareness. Campaigns. Talks. Forums. And our young generation still pays no heed. Why???