Dog Rose

Short rows of words that rhyme

(Dog Rose:  A semi-wild variety held by the ancients to cause fits of doggerel.)

A malicious pixie has been loose on my place.

I say to you, surely, into my garden she crept.

Dandelion, crab, and other grasses she seeded

On soil that I tilled, and nourished, and weeded.

She marred; she despoiled that one friable space

With weeds of all manner she sowed as I slept,

And lesser than I would have hung head and wept.

I’ll be up with the sun before the dew has receded

With rake and with trowel her mischief unmake

Revenge in the roses is the vengeance I’ll take

Reviews

[Marie]

What a very wonderful story of weeds you have woven into a fairy story in this delightful poem, Delmar! I love how the pixie gets the blame for maliciously sowing the seeds of various weeds instead of Mother Nature, because it makes the poem a fun write. Lovely depiction within the poem and I love the poetess' determination to use her rake and trowel to undo the mischief caused by the pixie. Her beautiful roses will bloom and heal her garden again. Beautiful poem penned with humour and a true delight to read. Thank you for sharing, Delmar. I so enjoyed reading...

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and for your comment. This was my attempt to make a sensible rhyme.

[Marie]

You did an exceedingly good job, Delmar. Lovely work and thank you again for sharing...

[Red Brick Keshner]

I like the tenacity of the poem as it forged ahead to the final line. Rosa canina! Wow, I had to look up some photos of it growing wild. I despair of weeding and ordering garden beds. But this appears to be a suited solution. Thanks for sharing.

[Delmar Cooper]

For me to attempt any rhyme is an act of tenacity, so spot on with that. I like plants because they don't talk back, but they don't always like me. Thanks for reading and your kind comment.

[CD Campbell]

I like the rhyme scheme. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the local english teacher always hyping up Shakespeare. Not a bad gig I think. All kidding aside, I thought this was pretty damn good verse. I don't garden anymore for the exact reasons you describe.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading. No, not an educator and scarcely educated. This one was for rew a really amazing poet who left these parts about a year ago.

[barleygirl]

Your poem harkens to gardening in general, as there's always some scourge to mar the produce or prompt painful stooping to weed. I love the idea of personifying the evil garden plotter! (((HUGS)))

[Delmar Cooper]

I don't know what they look like but there are evil spirits that plague gardens and see their handiwork, Thanks for the comment.

[wordman]

goes to show that the best is wild and free to anyone who knows where to find it

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading and taking time to comment. Free is good.

[wordman]

you`re welcome

[rew]

Dog rose? The pink dog Rose from which all other roses evolved from and incidentally is the national emblem of England.

This is the rose which has the most beautiful scent.
It grows wild amongst the hedgerows and is generally ignored by people passing by. But what one can find growing along side are brambles (blackberries) and crab apple trees and these also are, mostly, ignored.
Except by me!
I've got several lbs of blackberries in the freezer now from September's bounty and a few crab apples although I don't need to freeze these because they'll be around for quite a while.

Crab apples feature in Shakespeare - think Greasy Joan keeling the pot - I've used a few just recently in a pork casserole, cored but not peeled, they just add, more taste...hmmm, Gorgeous.

The blackberries? I use a few with muesli defrosted of course. Or if have the oven on for a roast joint (meat not Maryjane) I might slice a crab apple and interleave the slices with that fruit with just a tiny amount of added sugar.

Blackberries are also featured in literature - Margarette Atwood for one - and my favorite simple blackberry rhyme - " blackberry-picking " by Seamus Heaney.
(because it reminds me of me and my grandma, doing the same)

Rew.

[Delmar Cooper]

We are accustomed to blackberries where I live my grandmother made wonderful blackberry cobbler as well as jams and jelly. My grandfather kept a "blackberry board" which was a 10" 2x10 pine board with a rope attached to one end. We wluod stand the board on end and let it fall into the blackberry patch then use it as a gangplank to pick from. When we finished we would drag the board out by the rope. This saved a lot of scratched legs.

[Laz K.]

It's been raining for weeks where I am, and weeds love it. They're growing so fast. If I'm not careful they'll overrun everything. So, I can totally relate to this poem. :)

[Delmar Cooper]

We too have had rains worthy of Noah. Weeds and mosquitoes thrive.

[Samuel Dickens]

I think she might be visiting my "garden", too. So many veggie fatalities, I'm sure it isn't my fault. "Yeah, right", says the tomato ghost. This is an enjoyable poem to read. Makes me see vivid images.

[Delmar Cooper]

Thanks for reading. Here in Alabama we don't count our tomatoes until they're sliced , so many pests in late summer.

[Robert Trakofler]

there is unrest in the fields but he will not go gently into that good garden! all manner of intruders will blow to defile the toil of hands bled for the sanctity of province! fight you must with hatchet spade or scythe to vanquish the interlopers who would steal your sweated bounty! rage my friend... RAGE

[Delmar Cooper]

Rage? Well I am slightly pissed off. I'll plead down to that.

[Chris Shaw]

You have humour Delmar. I like that. You know any gardner worth his salt knows that he has to invest as much time removing weeds as planting potential beauties. I like the dog rose, mainly in hedgerows. That rhymes too. This is definitely a poem. Doggerel is for others not on this page:)

Chris

[Delmar Cooper]

So there is Dog Rose after all? I constructed the creature to fit my needs. Now I find it was there right along.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes, and very fragile and pretty pink it is too :)