The Worth of Weeds

If you love plants

can you find in your heart

a love for weeds too?

From a wide perspective

they are as beautiful 

and vigorous as the plants 

we have intentionally

grown in our gardens. 

As for me, some weeds I like.

In fact, I eat them.

Some weeds I let be,

acknowledging them

as I walk by.

But some weeds are 

so vigorous that they

organize an invasion!

I do love the green growth

covering our landscapes.

I honor what we call weeds

because they show vitality

even when we try 

to suppress them.

But there are a few weeds

that really frustrate me!

Heading that list is

Japanese Hops.

It is a beautiful plant,

and it spreads quickly

over hill and dale

over wall and fence

and into my garden

where it stages its assault .

It may be good for

making beer and wine.

But it is far better

at inflicting painful scratches

on arms and hands,

clinging onto any clothing,

refusing to be cast aside,

leaving its mark on everything.

You have to somewhat admire this irritating plant,

for it is vigorous, intrepid, assertive,

refusing to be relegated

to the compost pile, where

it takes over too, a very gregarious

personality, knowing no reticence,

pushing beyond boundaries,

growing and growing without end.

Japanese Hops is like many other

things in our world, big and small,

animal, vegetable or mineral.

There are good aspects

and challenging aspects.

When it occurs in our own species

our job is to find ways of appreciating

the valuable, the helpful traits. 

And avoiding the scratches!