Pluck

Foxtails are growing by the fence, where the mower can't reach, and through the poppy patch where I can't mow without slicing the plants I want to keep along with the invaders. Foxtails are pretty, especially when they're still young, but they are dangerous to animals and it's best to get rid of them. They are increasingly difficult to unearth as they age, so it's best to pluck them up while they are small, before the spiky heads harden.

The ground is still soft from the damp left by recent rain, so they come up easily. The plants are soft, too, and I note how pleasant they smell as I pull them from the ground. Then I recall how unpleasant it is to have a mature foxtail sticking in a sock or crawling up the inside of a sleeve or pant leg, but I still feel a bit sad that I have to slaughter so many attractive little plants. I also feel annoyed that it takes so long to slaughter so many plants, and that my knees will probably be aching all evening. I quietly curse the importers of this exotic vegetation.

( Sunday Verse )