Thursday, September 07, 2006

Kublai Khan Of Foliage

Kudzu hooligans
stand in contorted green gangs
next to Southern metallic-drooling roads.
They never cause mischief during the day,
but at night, shadow-slice the bloodless arms
of leaf-leering headlights.
They conquer by inch, rule for miles;
the Kublai Khan of foliage
breasting anything without legs.
Truly, an import snafu,
weed-rich patches
of great, fertile minds.


For those who don't know about Kudzu here's a link:http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu/

28 comments:

jel said...

that is a vine of a poem there! :)

The Site Administrator said...

the kudzu that ate georgia ... ha! ... love it, pat. ;-)

patsy said...

been thinking about kudzu as a weed. think for the link.

Margie said...

Loved it Pat!
Wonderful!

Unknown said...

Pat,
I think that this time you wrote a
'Klingon' of a poem!
I like it a lot.
Thanks for the link, I might use Kudzu in my civil war serial on triond (yes, there's no hope for me) I just keep writing and writing. I just have to find the right ezine.

MB said...

Kudzu hooligans — ha! Great take on an invasive species. The last line really puts an interesting twist on a "very vine" poem.

C... said...

It casts an eerie silhouette in the dark but as day breaks you can see the green monster taking over it's victims.

Cathy said...

I think I'll keep this one out of my garden!

Natalia L. Rudychev said...

I've read the poem then followed the link and read the poem once again. The poem is thought provoking - among other things I was thinking about haiku and tanka conquest of the West:)

floots said...

nice one pat
interesting link too
can't quite see if it's the same thing we call japanese knot weed here in uk
certainly its behaviour is very similar :)
cheers

steve said...

hard to get the balance right on these ground cover projects :)

Masago said...

Love "They conquer by inch, rule for miles". Kudos to you once again!

...and I see our comments are growing like kudzu in here. :-)

Pat Paulk said...

Janice, I reckon it was!!

Karasu, and still eating!! Thank you!!

Patsy, I'm not sure if it's technically classified as a weed, but it's certainly thought of as one here. Thanks for coming by!!

Thank you Margie!!

Thanks Wink!! Yes, you do!!

MB, yes, it's very invasive/aggressive. Thanks for the "viney" comment!!

C, you are very familiar with this beast!!

Cathy, that's a good idea!! Your climate maybe a bit too cold for it.

Natilia, I think you're on to something. Though, Haiku and tanka do have some value. Thanks!!

Thanks Floots!! Don't know about the Knot Weed, but they both come from Japan. Whatever that means.

Steve, yeah, what is too much? What is enough?

Vaughn, by inches they are!! Thank you sir!!

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

Kudzo hasn't made it here yet, but IO know it's coming. Saw some south of here not long back.

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Nice weave, Pat. Enjoyed it.

Neoma said...

Boy have you told it right here...........what a snafu, KUKZU reign supreme, and charges at night.......I have seen it devour cars, when they stop at a sign.........beware.......do not slow down.

Plus Ultra said...

I think you are what the academics will label as a "natural poet", every line is effortless, so unforced...and any topic is a good topic, a pleasure to get here again, sorry I have been caught up with work, the not so real work of making a living!

floots said...

checked up
knotweed and kudzu are different
but apparently both are a problem in parts of the US
(poetry and education hand in hand) :)
cheers

Amalendu said...

I was assuming Kudzu as some emperor till I got into the link you gave...
Its a wonderful poem Pat and you have the amazing ability to make a poem out of anything...

Unknown said...

perhaps they need an after school program
wonderful images!

dumbdodi said...

Good one pat

Jean said...

Found you through Southern Nea...and am very glad I did... will come back soon!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Fine one (I just couldn't do the pun) Pat! Now I'm Seeing kudzu everywhere: comment kudzu, poetry kudzu, even intellectual kudzu (now there's a scary thought).

dsnake1 said...

pat, you are a "natural" poet. i really learn something about kudzu, thanks for the link.

J.B. Rowell said...

Great poem - I especially like, "They conquer by inch, rule for miles . . ." Too true! No you should write one about red ants - another import snafu!

Anonymous said...

Before I read the link, I was transfixed by the magical entwining twang of this piece.
Yikes! THIS is what is taken over my backyard! I didn't know it's name until now. thx

Pat Paulk said...

Andrew, don't stand stil for too long...

Thanks Don!!

Nea, you are right!!

Plus Ultra, thank you for the kind words. I must confess they don't come so effortlessly.

Floots, sounds like they have similar personalities, though!!

Shyamalee, I think it must be the reincarnation of one. Thank You!!

Mikaelah, an after school blade!!

Thank you Dumbdodi!!

Jean, I'm glad you found me too!! Thank you!!

Russell, maybe, you can make a Kudzu salad?? Thank you!!

Dsnake, thank you!!

Julia, thank you!! That line describes it best of all. Red ants?? If I can persuade my fiesty muse.

Silvermoon, you need weapons to deal with it!!

Wow is good!! Thank you Kai!!

Borut said...

DARK MARCH

Out of the cracks in
the enchanting world of forms
darkness marches in