Walking among flowers he found a weed.

you never what you might find if you look. :))

'What is this little stray I see,

intruding on my harmony,

so brave it is, borne by free will

upon this plot I ceaseless till.'

'But I am flower, just as bright

and gifted with an equal right,

she said, though fearful of her plight.

'God's will is pure, as so am I,

a fledgling seed flown from the sky,

and if you gift me season's chance,

for you I'll dance a maiden's dance.'

'Brave little weed, I understand,

but this is mine, this speck of land.

and with regret you're not for me

for you are plain disharmony.'

'You cannot see beyond your nose,

a weed, just like a flower grows,'

she said, though still a fear arose.

'and whilst I'm not deliberate sown, 

I have a beauty of my own;

to spurn me is a foolish thing,

denies the beauty that I bring.'

'My eyes have opened little weed,

your words have made me understand,

'tis truly God's decree that shows

it matters not how grand the rose;

that beauty cannot be defined

and love can never be confined;

thus you are safe my little stray

to grow and celebrate the day.'

'I thank you sir, and you will see

that I shall grant you harmony,'

she said; 'and what will be will be.

The same how love can open eyes,

and comes in many a different guise,

and how 'tis true and mortal sin

to scorn all that which lies within.'

Reviews

[R.E. Ray]

The "little strays" and "intrusions" are not only part of life, they are the essence of life. Beauty lies not just in individual attributes, but in comparison to other things. I've long believed we hold the rose and similar flowers and living things in high regard not just because we find them beautiful (or learned to say they're beautiful from others), but because they're rare in comparison to what surrounds them. And, that's where we lose ourselves and our perspective.

Without the "weeds" the rose loses its beauty, and all nature is out of balance. We should respect and appreciate all living things, not because they're beautiful or harmonious, but because they're part of life, and therefore us. That's what I take from this poem, Beccy. I hope some of what I've written makes sense. :) This is one of my favorites.

[Patricia Wedel]

If we did not know a humble weed... we would never know how to
recognize Grace and feel its benevolent beauty. A Dandelion is a weed to
some, but an intoxicating Wine to others. humbly, Pat

[lakinbob]

Aside from this being an accomplished poem, something I have come to expect from your pen beccy, the message is spot on, that what lies on the surface hardly touches the edges, that we are all equal in the eyes of God and it is indeed a mortal sin to presume otherwise.

Very much enjoying your poetry young lady.

[Eilis]

I like the versatility of this message, Beccy. It could be the weed against the cultivated mindset, or alternatively, it could be the stranger in a strange land. Hospitality comes in many forms and we are challenged to offer it where it is needed.

Rejecting the bounty of creation in any respect is a kind of hubris that will always come back to bite us. Whether it is hateful disregard of the refugee or soaking the earth with pesticides to 'create' a landscape that suits our sensibilities--we destroy something to achieve an ideal that has no place among the diversity of the created world.

I enjoy the way this opens out into multiple possibilities and makes me think. I love weeds. I think I talked at length about that on another of your poems. But, I believe each of us has a purpose and it is not for any of us to disparage that in others --whether plant or person.

Excellent work, as ever.

[Beccy]

Thanks, 'stranger in a strange land,' is a good fit; though I also had in mind, my rather shorter poem, 'accident of birth,' when I wrote this.

[Jimmy Yetts]

Novel notion; clever execution.
Harmony's poetic banner flown high.
Was struck by the term "mortal sin"--a memory from my twelve childhood years of Catholic education.
As far as the accommodating Church was concerned, murder could be reconciled in the confessional by
a Good Act of Contrition, several rosaries and perhaps, a generous donation to the poor box.
As an added bonus, were the killers not inclined to public confession of their crimes
forgiving priests would never rat them out.
Exceptional work, Beccy!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was beautifully expressed. I enjoyed the entirety. The flow caught a hitch with me in a spot or two but it was no more than a hiccup after a full meal. Some call dandelions weeds... but they flower and can be made into anything from wine to salad, they are also one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man and can help in the fight against cancer. I don't know...people like to hang tags on things they don't always fully understand. But perhaps as much true beauty or more lies within a thing than might be first suspected. Thank you for a very enjoyable read.

[Bob Hanckel]

I liked this a lot. The interesting thing that it aludes to is the fact that a weed is not a species, just something that is undesired. That makes it subjective. Negotiating with weeds is tricky business though. You let one in, and before next summer, "There goes the neighborhood."

[gram linski]

haha, weeds are gods creatures too, beautiful and resilient and the start of the food chain, and some like the thistle stand strong and proud, enjoyed this, Beccy, good poem.

[Ase]

hey.... you leave my little weedy man alone he's just trying to evolve

[Beccy]

You be careful, I'm a weed control expert.
As for evolving, first thing you lot need to do is stop grunting 'Uggh,' Not that simply batting your eyelashes would help :))

[Lea Sheryn]

It is interesting how one small thing can capture so much imagination. Well done!