Poetry Friday - Husbandry

Husbandry

If you will plant me on your windowsill
and shine your gentle face on me each morning
you may shape my growth to please yourself
and I will do my best to like it

I will hold still
while you trim me with a scissors
clipping my oddness away
like the gardeners who produced trees
in the shapes of hearts and chickens

but somewhere inside --
I can't help it --
I will nurture secretly
the wild growth, the craziness
you can't prune away

[1977 or 1978]

Poetry Friday - Husbandry

HusbandryIf you will plant me on your windowsilland shine your gentle face on me each morningyou may shape my growth to please yourselfand I will do my best to like itI will hold stillwhile you trim me with a scissorsclipping my oddness awaylike the gardeners who produced treesin the shapes of hearts and chickensbut somewhere inside --I can't help it --I will nurture secretlythe wild growth, the

Poetry Friday - Husbandry

HusbandryIf you will plant me on your windowsilland shine your gentle face on me each morningyou may shape my growth to please yourselfand I will do my best to like itI will hold stillwhile you trim me with a scissorsclipping my oddness awaylike the gardeners who produced treesin the shapes of hearts and chickensbut somewhere inside --I can't help it --I will nurture secretlythe wild growth, the