weeds

Walking among the flowers,
bending to touch the weeds
they are fragile, blooming at will
sprouting from no planted seeds.
An array of splendor soon to be
fed to the noisy lawn mower.
Weeds, do you know that you are
as beautiful as any planted flower?
Purple, pink, yellow and white blooms
who decided that you were a weed?
While flowers close by are honored
in words and pictures and deed.
You keep on growing, waiting for my notice
instead you’re pulled, torn up and trashed.
Hey, stop swaying, let me take your picture
so for me at least, your beauty forever lasts.
by Jeanne Marie

The first picture is called an Air plant. It grows anyplace it wants to and while often latching on to other plants, branches and wires, it requires no soil. The next five pictures are weeds that grow wild in Florida. Silly Yankee girl that I am, I have nurtured and transplanted these beauties to each place where I have lived in Florida. Yes, the neighbors laughed at me. The last three pictures are of flowers, but since they appeared and were not planted by me at all, blown into my yard from where I don’t know, I count them as weeds. But I treasure my weeds as well as my flowers for which bloom should be called a weed and which bloom a flower? I just love them all.