"Creeping Charlie"
By Ronald W. Pies, MD
From our kitchen window,
I see you weeding
in the back yard,
hunched over a patch
of Creeping Charlie.
My reading tells me
how Glechoma hederacea
is hard to kill,
how it spreads
by seeding, rooting,
and stubborn stems.
To my ear,
“Glechoma”
brings to mind
the invasive
you’ve been battling
five years now,
root to stem--
though “myeloma”
has a softer sound.
You, love,
are more stubborn
than thuggish weeds
or mutated cells.
Five years now,
and you have stood
your ground.
