In its full spring glory,
Multiflora rose blooms with the emergence of crabapple trees,
While the fields of golden top flowers buoyantly burst back to life
But the threat is everlasting, pervasive
Concealed throughout the park.
Porcelain berry,
Berries bursting with rich hues of violet and blue
A tender rope, a delicate vine
Softly entangles its beloved
Creeping up the trunk, unyielding in its pursuit.
Sweet in its deception,
An enchanting wift of honeysuckle
Lures one into a daze
Before sickly-sweet golden blooms
Form a smothering tangle under the sun.
A steady march of infantry
Orderly storms up the flanks of a tree
Weighed down by the brunt of the attack,
One by one, each crumples from the strike
Overwhelmed by the zealous Kudzu.
Sweat and tears poured into our defense –
Acquainted through countless action,
We use the trowel and the shears
For they are our sword and our shield
To leave our enemy
Torn from the soil –
Left to wither in the barren field.
But like Pyrrhus of Epirus, victorious at Asculum
Gazing out at the battlefield;
A single plot may be freed
But the seeds are already embedded
Awaiting to emerge from slumber.
For the golden laurel was not his to keep
The loss of his men! A sight to weep.
Learn his lesson, my dear
For you cannot stop the onslaught of nature –
Invaders are already in our midst.
Why I Wrote This Poem
This poem was written during the “Write to Discover Program” and was awarded as Scholastic Writing Silver Key. I often work at a local park named Carpenter Park removing invasive plants as part of the Go Native Long Island initiative. It feels like a constant battle against these invasives as I try to defend native Long Island plant and animal species. This poem portrays this struggle by painting it as a battle. Specifically, it captures the emotions and visuals that run through my head when I feel disheartened by the lack of progress I sometimes make after a long day of work.
