The Wordsmith's Forge

This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "lavender" square in my 2-1-24 card for the Valentines Bingo fest. It is posted as a gift to Anthony Barrette for Father's Day.


"Meant to Get Dirty"


The plants are green,
but the T-shirt is white.

It had the cutest picture
along with the caption, and
so I bought it, even though
it's a white T-shirt that I plan
to wear for plant shopping.

There were other T-shirts
in green, in brown, in gray,
in lavender, in mulberry,
in other colors that would
certainly show dirt less.

But some things are
meant to get dirty.

If I come home from
plant shopping with
a clean white T-shirt,
then the trip was a bust.

Someday, this T-shirt
won't be new anymore.

It will attract dirt,
it will acquire stains,
it will become a kind
of scrapbook of plants
that I have picked up
to take home with me.

There is beauty in things
that are old and shabby,
like plants that have been
nibbled by caterpillars.

Some things are
meant to get dirty,
and I'm one of them,
and so is this shirt,
and that's okay.

Life is short.
Buy the plants.

* * *

Notes:

T-shirt Life Is Short Buy the Plants (still available on Etsy)