WEEDS

They are flowers too once you get to know them

I was once a plant, my kind once

flourished in the fertile valley of Cush.

‘Till my ancestors offended the gods

From the Garden of Eden we were banished.

 

In Canaan my descendants settled,

and we were giants !

Then the Fig Tree came,

divinely favored, they claimed the place.

From the Promise Land we were evicted.

 

In remote outskirts of Serengeti

Among lions den, I have been sown

From the stalks of my hands the wildebeest fed

Here I found my place, I called it home.

 

But tranquil life was short lived as morning dew.

I've been uprooted, my family too.

We sailed the ship of Amistad

To a foreign land our seeds were scattered

Some rebelled, some escaped rather than be shackled.

 

For eons my kind wandered like gypsies

Vagabonds we lived and slept in tepees

We scavenged, thrived in hedges and mountains

Sometimes displaced in your favorite garden.

 

I have been labeled, branded as nuisance

Your hatred and prejudice fuels resilience

But one day, my kind will be the answer --

Global famine, starvation, cure for cancer.

 

I am not who I was, a weed I'm not
Just a misplaced plant ...

by NeiL ArandA 12/17/2013

 

Author's Note

" We see things not as they are but as we are " - H.M. Tomlinson

" Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there firm as weeds among stones " - Charlotte Bronte

" I have a dream that one day I will not be judged by the color of my skin but by the content of my character " - Martin Luther King Jr

" Fig Tree " - The apple of God's eye
" Canaan " - The Promise Land
" Cush " - Part of Garden of Eden where 4 rivers ran through, near the river of Gihon
" Amistad " - Slave ship

My first ambitious attempt to write in free verse or free style. This piece is open for any interpretation and critique.

Reviews

[Ghost of Jupiter]

wow, this is a brilliantly deep and fantastic poem Neil! You speak of so many topics that I can really dive into, I feel that being a weed, is the best compliment anyone could give. As you have stated above, being a weed means that one has been able to grow in an environment perhaps foreign, where they have had to fight for survival. Weeds are quite lovely in my opinion, they produce some of the most beautiful blooms. I adored this poem, Neil... well done!

[NeiL ArandA]

K you're giving me so much undeserved compliments. If it impressed you I take it as a compliment. I'm glad that you could feel and relate to the plight and situation of the Weeds. They though somehow resembles the struggles of the tiny moth or butterfly inside a cocoon trying to break free. The Weeds struggles to find its own identity and place in a world filled with people who looks down on them and marginalize them because of their color, race and creed.

[Ghost of Jupiter]

It is a heartbreaking situation when people are too closed minded and do not see people for who they are inside. I see where you have tied our previous conversation about the struggles of the butterfly with this piece...quite clever, and of corse you are talking to me in terms of my beloved fluttering winged friends. Through all this I imagined a beautiful monarch landing on a gorgeous flower, bloomed from what is considered a "weed", but is a flower just the same.

[NeiL ArandA]

Ha Ha absolutely clever K ...I'm glad the butterflies are not choosy to which flower they would like to land and associate with ..

[Marie]

At first I thought you were referring to Jews; then you mentined "Amistad", which confused me. But I can't imagine you being misplaced in any garden...

[NeiL ArandA]

I relate the plight of weeds to not being favored by God over His chosen people and they have to survive.

[gabrielle]

this somehow reminded me of the our Jewish brothers and sisters. if i remember it right they were driven out from Israel and thereafter they've been subjected to series of political and religious persecution and discrimination but despite which they remain relentless and faithful to their beliefs. such noble characteristic deserves respect.

[NeiL ArandA]

Thanks Gab for the read... This piece was really inspired by your writings..." The Rose " ....and you captured my intention to connect my muse with biblical and historical elements

[Mockingbird]

a short history of where we all came from with biblical elements. there is a sense of a people being persecuted, but who thrived nonetheless. conveys humility and hope. very touching piece.

[NeiL ArandA]

You're absolutely right Moc. You perceived well the genealogy of the weeds. Their struggles, their persistence and their hopes and dreams. and also their hidden potential.

[Jack...]

This was very cool Neil. A very well crafted first attempt at free verse. This one will root well with the readers.

[NeiL ArandA]

Thanks Jack... glad to hear that compliment from a high caliber poet. Its an honor...

[Sami Khalil]

I like the analogy which can mean a plant of faith or misplaced human from the promised land ...You have done a great job here with the giants of poetry...Bravo.............

[NeiL ArandA]

Yes my brother and friend. You are absolutely right. Its has biblical elements . I trace the roots of the weeds and where they came from and how they live. Thanks for that great compliment. Its very encouraging.

[Sami Khalil]

My pleasure...Any time...:).................

[Dhaye]

I'm not surprised with the concepts of your pieces, bro. I know how you feel being in a mission or in a dream for humankind. We can never really change the world at once, but planting the good seed in the heart of those we meet in our journey, we can play a big part in it. Anyway, it's not this physical world which is important...it's the soul.
We do often feel like a misplaced plant, don't we? The prize of walking in the light...

This represents the brilliant mind of a chess master. Great as ever, bro.

[NeiL ArandA]

Wow thanks Sis Dhaye. I had this piece sitting on my folder for a while. I felt hesitant to post it since I wasn't sure about tracing the roots and origin of the weeds in a very long and epic way and incorporating biblical elements. Connecting and associating weeds with the plight and struggles of african people and american indians . We hate and abhored the weeds sameway with people who misunderstood and despised people because of their color, race and creed. Yet anyone is unique in its own rank and anyone has a vital role to play in this diverse universe.

[NeiL ArandA]

The way a weed thrive with little or no care and attention is a survival skill. Genetically imprinted inside their genomes in response to harsh treatment and environmental conditions.

[Dhaye]

Ah, you have responses here in my comment. I'm busy copying some stuffs and posting them to the other site.

"The way a weed thrive with little or no care and attention is a survival skill. Genetically imprinted inside their genomes in response to harsh treatment and environmental conditions."
That statement, that's actually what I felt few weeks ago...

[NeiL ArandA]

Always go with your first instinct. I'm still working on your translation. Its really tough. Dialect is so deep. Its not interpreted same way as english.

[Dhaye]

What first instinct? I don't get it, bro.
How long have you been there at Georgia? Hope you won't forget our National language. lol

[Dhaye]

I am developing a skill now to make a piece my muse in writing. Nowadays, I find it more enjoyable to read a piece and make a response poem out of the concept. I have made several response poems like in the pieces of Gabrielle, Night, Sami and Antonyo. Now, I'm here on your page to make another one.

I was once a plant, a kind of my own
Oh, a plant that was not eagerly sown
And from that infertile soil, I have grown
Like a weed in wilderness, just unknown.

My ancestors treat me like I'm nothing
Nobody cares if I have done something
But still I don't want to stop believing
Persist to live through hoping and dreaming.

And then they call me as a wild flower
Condemn me like I'm a serial killer
They provoke each other as believer
Each one must be an active decrier.

But one day, my kind will be recognized
As that one good plant, a kind which is nice...


That 's not yet finished. The finished poem will be posted on my page. Thanks for making this piece my muse this time. I only used simple words there, but I hope I can make a better version for posting on my page...

[NeiL ArandA]

You go girl ! Glad this piece inspired some thoughts and new concepts. I enjoyed writing poems in a story telling style.

[Dhaye]

I have many thoughts to share from your pieces, boy! (you call me girl, I'll call you boy. LOL) especially for those fave pieces of mine from this page. Just wait and see one of these days my response poems here. I don't have any muse now (person) except those beautiful pieces I read.

[Dhaye]

I like free verse, too and I have lots of it posted somewhere- my sad poems...

[NeiL ArandA]

I have one that I've been working on. The idea is great. Don't know how will I paint the setting.