Border Control (Poetry Monthly)

Gold cherry

By Philip Sidney

Sat, 06 Feb 2016
  • 7718 reads
25 comments
 

I’ve given up on border control,

the making and remaking of beds,

there’s pleasure in surrender

to the slow creep over and under the hedge.

 

A tangle of stems and leaves

fight it out at the edge,

they drip strange poison, strangle with barbs

in that dark seeping manner of plants.

 

A rotting mass writhes

in wormy earthy renewal

where globs of succulents

reproduce in sticky quantities

 

to be snuffled and gobbled by that sometime

careless wanderer of the edges

bright-berry-eyed prickle-backed forager

itinerant one-night garden chancer

 

watcher of other secret mammals who slip safely over the road

past the crow-pecked, feather and fur remains,

reminders that those made of bone and blood and dreams

are not as tenacious to life as these who cast their seed

 

across tame suburbia to bring back the ancient legends

of how weeds gifted humans -

like devil’s nettle yarrow, which stemmed the flow of blood

from Achilles’ wounds - he lived to fight another day.

 

For lesser mortals ground elder eases old joints,

chickweed cools the heat of infection,

vetch and violets touch the dark with scented colours of silken nights,

while dandelion and burdock wake up childhood days of summer blue and green.

 

I’ve given up on border control as

couch grass feeds the speckled wood butterfly,

Jack-by-the-hedge is poor man’s mustard and

clover, thistle, dock, willowherb, moss…all the wild things

 

feed my soul.

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by Pat G on

Indeed they do, feed the soul

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

smiley

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

and the wild flowers that suprisingly blossom are so beautiful though tiny! and the variety of leaves in such a border-jungle are a pleasure to see. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

The really are aren't they Rhiannon?  So lovely when the wilderness comes to visit in its low key beauty.

Submitted by loquaciousicity on

Tell me about it...smiley

Great poem..

Terry

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank Terry!  :)

Submitted by VeraClark on

Rich in juicy plants and steeped in intriguing herbal folklore. I love the hyphen use, makes the pace pulsey.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Vera. smiley

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I never was a fan of formal gardens, very much in vogue here in Belgium sadly, I think it's the Flemish mindset wink

Organised chaos is much more interesting and productive. I think the English and the French do this very well (and not just gardens, heh-heh-heh)

Lovely word play and construction here.

Ed

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Ed!  Must be spring in the air with this garden dreaming. smiley

Submitted by tcook on

I think that this gives a delightful image of the garden border - but I think it's far deeper than that. It talks to me of refugees and the barbarity of humanity. Very clever indeed.

It's our Pick of the Day.

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank you so much for the pick.smiley  So glad the human element wasn't too obscure!

Submitted by lenchenelf on

Subtle, structured decay and renewal context surrounding blood and bone (and sterile but deadly road/border) of stanzas 3, 4 & 5. 'Tips hat' V. good stuff.

Lena xxxxxxxx

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Lena! smileyx

Submitted by celticman on

wonderful, so succulent I can taste and smell the stock of phrases. Weeds, plants with bitter cousins. 

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks celticmansmiley

Submitted by EB on

'A rotting mass writhes

in wormy earthy renewal

where globs of succulents

reproduce in sticky quantities

 

to be snuffled and gobbled by that sometime

careless wanderer of the edges' 

Succulent writing. 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks EBsmiley

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Helen

I love this. I believe in having a natural garden - and intend to cook Ground elder this year, as my main vegetable - apparently its like a cross between asparagus and spinach. Your word choice is such fun to read.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank you Jean.  It's that time of year to dream and plan future gardens.smiley 

Submitted by ivanmd15 on

Very powerful, image driven writing ... I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece. Perhaps I'll go stroll the woods this afternoon. Cheers!

 

Submitted by ivanmd15 on

Very powerful, image driven writing ... I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece. Perhaps I'll go stroll the woods this afternoon. Cheers!

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Ivan. :)

Submitted by harveyjoseph on

Incredible poem. A real mastery of the willdness of words. Loved it.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank you so much harveyj :)