Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Fighting Weeds (Poem)

Fighting Weeds

We sow wheat.
We pull weeds.

But think about this:
What if wheat grew

like weeds?
Not in its rows

carefully spaced
and belabored

but wildly,
without purpose

we can name;
not wanted

in its place
but sought out

to be uprooted.
Could we tell

wheat's difference then
from weeds?

Would we cultivate
a taste for it,

or go at it,
threshing out of hand?

Would it, too, resist
our tugs or once on

our tongues focus
what we hunger for?

© 2011 Maureen E. Doallas

22 comments:

Louise Gallagher said...

Love this!

Kathleen Overby said...

iWonder, too.

Jodi Aman said...

Fun to wonder. All our plants were once found in a forest somewhere and someone ate the first one and liked it...

Rob Mustard said...

What is a weed by any other name? Your poem neatly captures the mystery of this choice.

Britton Minor said...

Beautiful. Shall we choke that which might feed us? Or shall we embrace the wild within?

Claudia said...

some interesting thoughts in this..love how you use those two - the wheat and weeds as metaphors to make your point..very clever done

Anonymous said...

Would we cultivate
a taste for it...

love this line

Anonymous said...

... after it's all grown... those nasty weeds can be pulled

S. Etole said...

the parable of the wheat and the tares comes to mind ...

Jenne' R. Andrews said...

Beautiful and carefully crafted soul-questionings, Maureen; I especially love:

Not in its rows

carefully spaced
and belabored

but wildly,
without purpose

we can name;

Your work distills the essential so beautifully. xxxj

Anonymous said...

love when Im left to ponder something! Thanks! :) lovely penning as always.

Kellie
v

Heavens2Betsy said...

Beautiful, wise and thought-provoking words Maureen. I came by chance and will return. penny

Brian Miller said...

we make judgements on what is good or bad...who is to say we would not destroy the wheat in our ignorance...

Chris G. said...

It is all indeed in the perception put before us I do suppose...judging a book by its cover and all that. Quick to judge - and worth the question. Well done!

Margaret said...

Wheat or weed. I love how you played with this and made us think. Well done.

Cathy said...

How very simple and how true. And a simple question, what is a weed anyway? Delightful. And wise. My father-in-law used to keep a tupperware container filled with bitter green weeds in the refrigerator. Once he came to stay and brought a week's worth. One man's weeds are the other man's dinner...

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

Beautifully done--perhaps weeds have a place more important or at least equally important.

Audrey

tinkwelborn said...

what a difference a difference makes. Ha.
witty & clever piece here.
an apology for weed perceptions.
I like the structure (in couplets) and it reads smoothly through. good job.

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Dear Maureen

"Our tongues focus
what we hunger for... " lovely ending to an endearing journey of doubts and endeavor. I liked it very much..


Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/11/whispers-sighs.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay

ayala said...

Thought provoking, well done!

Beachanny said...

I loved the construction. As I read, I thought of dandelions. I love them so much and hate to see them poisoned. I like dandelion greens, and I love the sunshine flowers coming out early with the other yellow flowers and making me happy. As children we wished on them before blowing the seeds away. Certainly, it's a matter of taste. Truth in itself and a metaphor for much more.
Always tight and exquisite work.

Cathy Feaster said...

hmm...good question :) thought provoking!