Giant Hogweed
John C. Mannone
Their evolution:
like caustic words,
the burning lye
coursing through
their green veins,
furanocoumarins
in their sap-stem
stained purple,
warted like sin
branching out
to all the world,
white lacy umbels
reaching to sun
to soak sarcastic
light slaked
with promises
of contempt
for any living thing
approaching them.
Cut them
down, burn
the indignant
plant. Its phylogeny
must never be
allowed to flower
and flourish.
All the world is
at risk ever since
humans mutated
into giant hogweed
sprouting, sprawling
rampant.
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Author’s note: The poem was inspired after reading about this dangerous plant:
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/giant-weed-that-burns-and-blinds-spreads-across-canada/wcm/cb956750-ebde-4dbc-8aa5-d52e0a3c79f1. Note also that furocoumarin or furanocoumarin are carcinogenic and teratogenic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furanocoumarin
