Organic Gardening

By Maria Van Beuren

It’s a matter of pulling weeds

And laying them down where they can rot

And feed the plants you want.

When weeds are small,

They require you to claw in their dirt,

But then you learn to let them grow large

And fat on rain and sun—

They grow confident,

Their grip less desperate,

And they are easy to uproot.

Maria van Beuren is an indexer, editor, and poet who lives in New Hampshire, where she runs Toad Hall Poets’ and Artists’ retreats for writers, artists, and musicians. She also wrangles six dogs and five chickens in her “spare time.”

Photo credit: Beyond DC via a Creative Commons license.