{"id":48046,"date":"2014-09-29T12:00:55","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T11:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=48046"},"modified":"2015-05-05T21:29:42","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T20:29:42","slug":"weeds-metaphors-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2014\/09\/weeds-metaphors-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"WEEDS . . . Metaphors . . . WARS"},"content":{"rendered":"

I.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I speak here of weeds growing across our land,
\nWild, uninvited, unwelcome, festering!
\nI speak here of weeds inhabiting gardens and lawns,
\nGrowing amidst driveways, sidewalks, curb cracks.
\nI speak here of weeds flourishing, thriving, resisting extinction.
\nI speak here of weeds challenging human presence,
\nMarring efforts after perfection:
\nEnemies to be destroyed,
\nSoaked with sprays,
\nDrenched with toxic mists,
\nUntil yellowed and wilted in the sun!<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I speak here of weeds mocking beatific visions:
\nBlemishes to perfection,
\nSullied lawns, plants, fields,
\nFlaws in uniform green vistas.
\nEndless foes of varying color and shape.<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Churchill\u2019s words adopted for the struggle:
\n\u201cWe will fight them in our yards,<\/em><\/strong>
\nIn our gardens,<\/em><\/strong>
\nIn our lawns, <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis is not the end, <\/em><\/strong>
\nNo, it is the beginning of the end.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a war against a worthy foe,
\nA war we can win!
\nAhhh, if only there was a jingo,
\nAn anthem to strengthen resolve?<\/p>\n

The list prepared:
\nGarden gloves, powders, masks,
\nChemical sprays — buy only \u201cNew and Improved!\u201d brands.
\nCommercials recalled:
\nHappy . . . beautiful . . . perfect people . . .
\nLaughing as they direct streams of \u201cletter, number, symbol fluids,\u201d
\nInviting you to share their pleasure,
\nWords spoken with sincere insincerity,
\nSouthern accent, to soften message:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you just detest those weeds? <\/em><\/strong>
\nI use \u201cX-out!\u201d . . . the moment weeds appear.<\/em><\/strong>
\nIf you leave them overnight, they multiply.<\/em><\/strong>
\nBuy — X-OUT! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The name comforts,
\nInstills confidence!
\nHundreds of blue plastic bottles,
\nA colorful display!
\nA mythic moment!
\nGrip the bottle.
\nHold it!
\nA good fit!
\nNon-drip!<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the checkout line,
\nCustomers share words,
\nContent with their decisions!
\nA poet disturbs certainty with virtuous words:<\/p>\n

\u201cA weed is a flower whose virtues have yet to be discovered.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\nHe pays and leaves humming an old folk song:
\n\u201cWhere have all the flowers gone, <\/em><\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Long time passing \u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Glares, stares, murmurs, contempt, frowns abound:<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a new-age minister!\u201d <\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t his choir!\u201d <\/em><\/strong>
\nA collective litany begins \u2013 group think:<\/strong>
\n\u201cWeeds are pests — like insects, rodents, spiders, varmints.<\/em><\/strong>
\nKill\u2019em all. <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis here stuff is new, <\/em><\/strong>
\nJust out! <\/em><\/strong>
\nSaw it on TV.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cI\u2019ll tell you how I kill those SOBs:<\/em><\/strong>
\nJust go out there and stare them down,<\/em><\/strong>
\nTalk to them,<\/em><\/strong>
\nTell them you remember them from last year.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cThe more complex the chemical names, <\/em><\/strong>
\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On the package, the more I am likely to buy it.<\/em><\/strong>
\nI want a lawn without crabgrass, milkweed, dandelions.<\/em><\/strong>
\nJust perfect Bermuda green,<\/em><\/strong>
\nLike our golf course.<\/em><\/strong>
\nThat makes a man\u2019s Spring and Summer.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cYou know, you have to apply the killers in the winter<\/em><\/strong>
\nTo be prepared for the spring.<\/em><\/strong>
\nThey grow even in the cold.<\/em><\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s no end to their presence.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cWhere I live, <\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cOur Neighborhood Board<\/em><\/strong>
\nRequires us lawn-free of weeds.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One of the Board Members owns a lawn service.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cI say a little prayer. It always works:\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u201cCaste them away from us,<\/em><\/strong>
\nFree us from their evil spectacle, <\/em><\/strong>
\nStrengthen our struggle.<\/em><\/strong>
\nGird our loins.<\/em><\/strong>
\nWe ask this in thy name. <\/em><\/strong>
\nAmen\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\nIn mock execution,<\/em><\/strong>
\nA hero aims a plastic bottle,<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGotcha! Take that you . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Applause! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

V.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no remorse in killing weeds,
\nNo guilt, no shame, no regret.
\nShared targets for inner rage,
\nScapegoats,
\nWithout them,
\nWho would we curse,
\nWho would we eradicate?
\n_________________________________<\/p>\n

Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D<\/em>
\n\u00a9 Alpharetta, Georgia 30022<\/em>
\nMonday, July 16, 2012, 5:46 PM<\/em>
\nFriday, September 26, 2014, 12:49 PM<\/em><\/p>\n

Comment: I wrote this poem as thoughts about widespread violence continued to occupy my mind. Violent crimes are commonplace. Wars pandemic! The \u201cweed\u201d metaphor came to mind. Competition and struggle have crept into so many aspects of our lives \u2013 entertainment, education, marriages, business, government. Violence thrives amidst struggles! So many struggles in daily life we ignore or do not consider. Weeds? Just another foe! <\/em><\/p>\n

Anthony Marsella, Ph.D., a member of the TRANSCEND Network, is a past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, and past director of the World Health Organization Psychiatric Research Center in Honolulu. He is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer figure in the study of culture and psychopathology who challenged the ethnocentrism and racial biases of many assumptions, theories, and practices in psychology and psychiatry. In more recent years, he has been writing and lecturing on peace and social justice. He has published 15 edited books, and more than 250 articles, chapters, book reviews, and popular pieces. He can be reached at marsella@hawaii.edu<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I speak here of weeds growing across our land,
\nWild, uninvited, unwelcome, festering!
\nI speak here of weeds inhabiting gardens and lawns,
\nGrowing amidst driveways, sidewalks, curb cracks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry-format"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48046\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}