Monday, April 19, 2010

PAD Day 19 - A Person

Thomas Jefferson’s Poppies
  
It couldn’t have been easy.
As founding father, empire builder,
philosopher of state,
He suffered headaches, persistent diarrhea,
Insomnia into the small night hours.
For him the pursuit of happiness
Was an often distant, difficult ideal.

Remember though, he was a gardener,
The Monticello gardens laboratories
Of plants from every corner of the world.
And in those Virginia gardens grew  exotic poppies,
White and purple plants of joy,
Papaver somneriferum,
Sleepbringer to the ancients,
Milk of paradise,
For Kubla Khan the very hand of god.

Jefferson, a man of industry and contradiction
At work atop his mountain
Craved sleep, deep dreams, and peace,
Ever independent and industrious
Took matters into his own hands.
From his botanic pharmacy opium poppies
Offered comfort, brought release.

1 comment:

  1. I loved this one because it made me see him--a figure I've always been curious about. It made him real for me. Also I loved the second verse --the litany of names and virtues of poppies...White and purple plants of joy...Papaver somneriferum, Sleepbringer to the ancients, Milk of paradise, For Kubla Khan the very hand of god. I say it IS a good poem.

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