Tansy

you gave me tansy
from the corn patch

golden mustard, bitter buttons
sharp-scented, feathered leaves
steeped in the hum of cicadas
soaked with summer sun

who is this plant? you asked,
this inconsiderate seeker
growing so determined
so unwelcome at the farm

I hoped for an easy answer

but in a sudden flash of insight
every stem and stalk was exposed,
every tiny yellow blossom
caught in sharpened light
that didn’t soften

even the corn patch
lost its penchant for subterfuge,
each plant lit from above
as if it were being questioned

the reality of my grief
eclipsed our need to understand

sadness and loss revealed my envy
of all you held

I meant to see, but not like that,
not the way the drifting hawk
could see the field mouse

so I let the question
fall back to something easier,
something closer to affection

a simple request to make sense
of an invasive plant
carried here by a colonizer’s
homesick desire

a way to appreciate a gift
that offered a stubborn kind of love
still willing to root deeply

a yellow bouquet
holding itself together
on my kitchen table

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Oh Tansy . . . when my friend Barbara showed you to me in the farm field where she is growing corn this summer it was the first time I noticed you. And now I see you everywhere. And you do have a message to share.

In the Victorian Language of Flowers, a gift of tansy meant hostile thoughts or “I declare war against you” making it one of the most agressive floral symbols in the Victorian dictionary. And no wonder it has such a reputation; its invasive, stubborn growth and bitter, insect-repelling qualities evoke the idea of resistance.

During mediaeval times, the stems and leaves of tansy were collected and dried in August and used as strewing herbs on the floor to repel insects and placed between mattresses and blankets to deter lice. It was even made into a rub for raw meat to stop flies.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) originated in western Europe and Japan and was introduced in North America in the 1700s by settlers for medicinal purposes. Today it is considered noxious, invasive and problematic in pastures as it is unpalatable to livestock and reduces the availability of fodder.

Tansy should be handled with care as its yellow flowers may cause skin irritation. Tansy has been used by herbalists (in moderation) to combat internal parasites and was even used in the past to induce abortion.

Today it is mainly used as a dye material and provides a clear bright yellow which can be overdyed with other colours such as indigo to make a bright green.

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Music pairing: Meadows by Wild Child, 2015

May these words bring truth and healing
through open hands and hearts. And then,
let it flow back into our Mother Earth
for the love of all her beings.

This poem was conceived and grown organically from my own unique human experience, thoughts, efforts, knowledge and research.