Today, we’re going to enjoy a 2nd poem by Sarah Justice, my new Friends of Gladys Taber friend (read about the amazing work of Taber here). We enjoyed Sarah’s poem about honeysuckle a few weeks ago.
I’m a lover of mint as well. So many uses! I found it especially interesting this week that peppermint oil could help treat high blood pressure! —S.K.K.
“Whatever you do,” they said,
”Don’t plant mint.
It grows so wide it will take over.”
So
The first thing I did was plant mint.
Because I believed them
And I wanted to be a gardener.
They were right, and years later
I have a wide, wild patch of deliciously soft green every spring.
It is free to be
And to stretch as it pleases.
What a gift to give.
Just think, if mint could save the world
If it could feed and soothe, listen to hearts
Carry folks to their beds at night.
If, for some reason, a patch of wild sweet mint could
Cure the malice of greed,
Rescue the afflicted mind,
Love the unloved.
Imagine if mint could clean the oceans.
I don’t know how—this is only a daydream,
An imagination revolving around concern,
creative thinking born from pity.
I sit and pretend
As I trim bright fistfuls
That what could save the world has been
Beneath my nose the entire time.
I should have known by the smell alone.
That…of course… How obvious!
The answer has arrived, and I have enough of it
for this to work.
Daydreaming still…
The scientists call and they say
World peace has been solved, the antidote lies
In the luscious green patch where you lay.
So I harvest until my hands are green
My lungs are filled, and what’s intoxicating
is the feeling of the world,
depending on me.
And because I once chose to set a plant free,
We will all be okay.
—Sarah Justice
Sarah Justice is a resident of Ashland, Kentucky where she mainly enjoys the company of people and sharing stories. Flower gardener, avid reader, and wife of a Kentucky musician, Sarah also shares her home with a perfect poodle and carries with her more curiosity for the world than she’ll ever have the years to fully explore.
Sarah writes poetry and is also a contributor to the Friends of Gladys Taber Quarterly Journal based in New England. Her blog, The Mint Patch Monologue, welcomes all readers to enter a quiet space, celebrate life’s simple pleasures, and to find encouragement. During business hours you can find her working behind the pharmacy counter at Gallaher’s Pharmacy serving the needs of her neighbors as a healthcare provider, while equally socializing with her favorite group of senior folks.
Sarah welcomes engagement with other like-minded women! Her email address is justicesarah67@yahoo.com, and you can also contact her through her blog, The Mint Patch Monologue.
*Note on the illustration: The illustration for Sarah’s poem was created when I plugged her poem into ChatGPT and asked for “a romantic and humorous illustration.” I was astonished by what AI came up with! So was Sarah. Though we both loved the image, I continue to have reservations about AI. The sad thing is, I do not have enough paying subscribers to pay artists or writers, though I would love to do just that! Sarah and I discussed the subject and Sarah said, “I think it [AI] is powerful and should be treated as such. With great power comes great responsibility to use it well.” She is wise and I agree! So, I will use AI art sometimes if I cannot find public domain images, and I will always label it as such.
Sandra Knauf’s memoir about a lot of things wild and woolly, including raising chickens and hosting tea parties in the garden. A great spring gift for any mother or nature-lover in your family. Available on Amazon.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.