What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Burdock bounces its heart-shaped leaves
beside the bell-like tubes of comfrey.
Beneath the abundance
violets reach for the light.
The giant plants must go
though the bees are nectar robbing
foraging the flowers of comfrey
taking bites as I deaden the jungle.
Alongside my neighbor’s garage
a tangle of greenery thrives
a patch of false labels
and popular opinions flourish:
an overgrown gathering of weeds.
I’ll transplant the violets
but the remainder will be laid to rest.

Godspeed to the weeds.
Condolences buzz by the burdock
hum near the comfrey
as I bag the dying virtues
for Wednesday’s yard waste pick up.

Jeannie E. Roberts is the author of several books, including her most recent title The Ethereal Effect – A Collection of Villanelles (Kelsay Books, 2022). On a Clear Night, I Can Hear My Body Sing is forthcoming from Kelsay Books in 2025. She serves as a poetry editor for the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs.