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Japanese Knotweed

Sally

Reynoutria Japonica, you’re cruel –
Hand-pulling up your stem, I miss the root.
I think I need to find a better tool

Hey, dandelion digger — maybe you’ll
Dig deeper in the soil… Ah, shoot!
Reynoutria Japonica, you’re cruel!

A trowel – yes – and sitting on my stool
Still doesn’t do the job. There’s no dispute –
I think I need to find a better tool.

The things they never teach us while in school
That even shovels fail to execute —
Reynoutria Japonica, you’re cruel.

Get the backhoe! Fill it up with fuel!
Destroy the entire garden in pursuit!
I think I need to find a better tool.

No — I’ll study you and find what makes you cool.
Whoa! You fight plaque? And gingivitis to boot?!
Reynoutria Japonica, you rule!
I think I finally found my better tool.

This is such a work of fiction and not even a true villanelle. (I didn’t verbatim repeat lines A and B in the final couplet.)

Let it be said that I hate Japanese knotweed whose scientific name is Reynoutria Japonica. I do yearly battle with it and never win. I don’t even feel like I make any progress.

I do believe that leaning in and looking for positives is the best way to deal with difficult situations.

But I still hate Japanese knotweed. But, trust me — I’m not going to use knotweed to fight gingivitis. I would much rather give Oral B my money.

This is my submission for this week’s W3 prompt: Write: A) a sonnet, OR: B) a villanelle on the theme of: an animal, plant, or object, describing its qualities or what can be learned from it.

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Published by Sally

17 thoughts on “Japanese Knotweed”

  1. What an adventure, even if fictional! A very resilient plant, with pretty leaves, I think. Too bad it’s trying to grow in the wrong place, though. Thanks for joining in the prompt!

    Reply

      1. If you have to resort to a backhoe, I think that would be worthy of another poem! It must be a monster to deal with.

  4. This made me smile! I feel your pain – though I am not dealing with Japanese Knotweed – just Virginia Creeper (only slightly less troublesome than Kudzu)!!!

    Reply

  5. Sally, this is well beyond excellent, and, FWIW, I didn’t do a true villanelle either… I played with my two refrain lines much more than you did, from stanza to stanza… so yours is much truer than mine 😉

    Much love,
    David

    Reply

    1. One of my sons told me yesterday that some banks won’t grant mortgages if knotweed is growing near the foundation. Thank goodness that’s not my issue! It’s just taking over a garden.

      Reply

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