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Bittersweet


The view from my rear window is so spectacularly fine, especially in the evening,

that I find it hard to look away, go read a book. Watching a movie’s forgone.

Yet almost everything back there, between my house and the railroad line

is an “invasive alien.” Except for the box elder, Acer negundo,

in Russian, the америка́нский клён, or American maple (Amerikansky klyon).

We aliens welcome her among us. We’re all somewhat American these days.

I, the most recently arrived, naturally,

but the Norway maples, Chinese privet, burning bush,* periwinkle, bittersweet, kudzu, and bamboo too.

We’re a total mess right now, of course (especially the last three). C’mon!

We’ll sort things out--just give us, say, a million years or so.


You will, obviously, I know.


*Winged eunonymus

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