Weeds

Weeds, Part 1

before you get out the gloves
and the bucket
and the ibuprofen
you must prepare mentally

weeding, you see
is all about fascism
xenophobia
manifest destiny
power
segregation
isolationism
ruthlessness

a field of clover
is a thing of beauty
but a patch of clover
is an abomination

Virginia Creeper
is pretty enough
but it shall not lie
with English Ivy

grass is great
but never in the mulch
and vines shall not
climb trees

broad leaves
shall not stand with narrow
though their flowers
shine like the sun

so at the outset
you must steel your mind
draw the lines
build the walls

have not mercy
allow no intrusions
bring order to the chaos
you must

Weeds, Part 2

weeding is waiting

first, wait for the rain
you cannot summon it
nor beckon it
though you need it

wait
and when it comes
wait again
until the next morning

then step out onto
soft ground
where weed roots
find little purchase

and prepare
for your impending triumph

* * *

second, wait for the weed
brute force will not work
a hard yank breaks stems
leaving roots

you need a taut
yet gentle
pull
followed by
a pause
followed by
a firm, slightly sideways
ripping of the roots
out of the ground

the difference
from the outside
is imperceptible
the motion invisible
but the results
are entirely different

look down
shake dirt from roots
and smile
at your triumph