Health in your smell
though I pull and bin
swathes; you insist
on healing the earth
even if I cull your tribe.
Calendula: what a
divine name. How banal
is 'marigold' as if you -
goddess of plants -
were a mere slip of a girl.
And why does the cream
I heal dry spots with
smell of lavender?
Is the pungency just
not feminine enough?
Each time I pull you from
the earth, forgive me. I am
trespassing, I know I interrupt
your work. I am thankful
your children defy me.
Marigolds are among my favorite things: so strong, so cheerful. Myself, I much prefer that name to calendula. For me, 'marigold' is a name that smiles as they do; 'calendula' seems too dry and formal.
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