BLACK FLOWERS

BY EXCELLE BROWN

A BLACK FLOWER GREW OUT OF MY GARDEN TALL AND STRONG

I HAD PLANTED LILIES, SO I KNEW THE COLORING WAS ALL WRONG

THE BLACK FLOWER THRIVED GROWING TALLER EACH DAY

AND SO I CUT IT DOWN TO GET IT OUT OF MY WAY

I RETURNED TO MY GARDEN, BEHOLD TWO BLACK FLOWERS WERE THERE

I WENT AND GOT MY WEEDER AND I CUT DOWN THE PAIR

EACH DAY I CAME BACK THERE WERE THREE AND THEN FOUR

I CUT DOWN AND UPROOTED BUT STILL THERE WERE MORE

THEN I USED A CHEMICAL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THEM DIE

SO I SPRAYED THE CHEMICAL AND TO THE BLACK FLOWER IT WAS GOODBYE

BUT A WEEK LATER AND THE BLACK FLOWERS HAD RETURNED

SO I SET THE GARDEN AFIRE AND I WATCHED THEM BURN

THEN I LEFT MY GARDEN FOR A GOOD LONG WHILE

WHEN I RETURNED THERE WAS BLACK FLOWERS FOR MILES AND MILES

BEAUTIFUL BLACK FLOWERS WITH STRENGTH AND A WILL TO SURVIVE

ENDURED OPPRESSION AND MURDER, YET THEY CONTINUED TO THRIVE

Ó

April 16, 2010, 10:31 PM Tina Martin-Brown