Today’s poetry invitation on SDAWPoetry was Wallace Steven’s Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. I realized I’ve been thinking a lot about weeds and wildflowers–especially after the comment from a colleague the other day. He started to direct us into “the weeds of our work,” and then corrected himself to direct us into the wildflowers.

I spent some time wandering around my backyard today. Taking photos of the blossoms that somehow managed to escape my husband’s mowing yesterday. I love the idea that they get down low and avoid the lawnmower–that they are wily and resilient along with their ability to brighten up an otherwise drab space.

So here is today’s poem:

Looking at Weeds

I. They sprout and bloom in

the unlikeliest of places

are they unwanted

simply because they

weren’t planted?

II. Get down low and look close

see the tiny blossom

shaded under the tall stem

of another unplanted sprout

III. Rain and sun

and a bit of neglect

are perfect conditions to bloosom

IV. Perhaps children, too, need a bit

of benign neglect

to blossom

space to grow at will

rather than in straight rows

and in perfectly tended gardens

V. Wind and bees

tend the wild, sending messages

on air current

and hairy legs

spreading, planting, seeding

VI. How do I seed ideas

critical thought

unbridled learning

so that it thrives like

the wildflowers

we so often call weeds?

®Douillard

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