Dear herb, shrub, vine and bush
if you be deemed unwanted or a pest,
your name is cursed to be unspoken,
or twisted into a foul nickname scourge.
To graziers you are Paterson's Curse
To beekeepers you are Salvation Jane.
No one knows your real name except,
the gardeners who planted you
in their garden beds, from which you spread.
The once loved, when lost are cursed.
Let's name a few: Fireweed, Freckle face, Koster's curse,
Lady-of-the-night, Mother-of-millions,
Sea spurge, Tree-of-heaven, Sticky Willy
What crime did these plants commit to be
put in stocks in a public place
and spat at?
- Outgrow the wanted plants and spread
- Prolific breeders
- Sprout from leaves and tiny pieces
- Produce millions of seeds
- Fruits loved by birds that scatter the seed in droppings
- Grow well every where with ease.
- Sticky seeds and burrs
- Not fickle nor demanding of conditions.
Each of these are what growers want and love
in other plants, they love to grow
in their gardens, fields and pastures.
Too much of a good thing is deemed a curse.
So their name is defaced and
replaced with foul sounding nicknames
listed as noxious, wanted dead,
on the Wanted Posters.
-
Author:
John Richard Anderson (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: August 26th, 2021 00:02
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 19
Offline)
Comments3
that's some impressive empathy you willed
evolved enough, to empathise with a weed...
*quote from the Victor Hugo:
'There are no weeds
and no worthless people.
There are only bad farmers'...
*quote from Tony Robinson:
'I don't believe you should go to your garden
and chant:
there's no weeds, there's no weeds, there's no weeds
and think that's going to solve something.
I'm a believer:
in find the weed - and rip, it out!'
I love all plants, some more than others. Cheers and Best Wishes
Oh - goodness me! where did they come from, John?
Why weeds? Now that is a question!
Yeh - I do see the point....If a plant is more successful than what was there previously, particularly during changes to climate, then.... 'weed' like 'pest' is a very arbitrary classification. Got it (I think)
Alas, that is how my garden grows. Now I can look at my weed infested patch or ground and be proud thanks to you. I shall now refer to it as Eden.
mind the snakes bearing apples!
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