The Daily Croissant

 

 

Copyright (c) Sarah "Sallie" Thayer

 

Kudzu Rising
Copyright 2004 © Ronald W. Hull

With kudzu rising it's not surprising,
That the killer bee moves north. 
The sparrow sings while the bee stings,
And the black starling has no worth. 

Bamboo inches, its tendrils itches,
To slowly cover earth.
Eucalyptus grows in stately rows,
Pissing acid rain like it was Perth. 

Fire ant mounds, daily hounds,
The grazing brahma’s berth. 
Kudzu crawls up our walls,
And peeks into our mirth.

Treetop high, it shades the sky,
Creeping beneath a sea of green. 
Not the first, nor the last,
To conquer our pristine scene. 

Asian men walked a thin slice,
Thirty thousand years before,
Crossing over a bridge of ice,
To reach this hallowed shore.

The steeds of conquistadors,
Came and played to preen.
The Irish come from Ireland,
For the “wearin’ of the green.”

And now the South is wearin’ it,
As the kudzu crawls on north.
“Watch out bamboo, here I come.”
Another alien among us, …
… for what it’s worth!

 

"Weeds, which are widely deemed as a nuisance plant, are vital to the existence of many farmland species according to a new University of Hull study published in the journal Biological Conservation today.

Since many weeds produce flowers and seed, they are an integral part of our ecosystem and together with other crop and non-crop seeds found on farms, they provide food for over 330 species of insects, birds and animals."

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

— Matthew 13:24-30, Holy Bible: King James Version