# Grass



## Olly Buckle (Jul 25, 2017)

I am the grass
Walk on me, sit on me, lie on me.
I have been here for seventy million years
Fighting the forest for space, and winning. 
Fire killed the trees, but did not kill me
Animals nibble plants to the roots
Others die, but not I.

Grass.
The beginning of everything.
sheep grazing, or in curry, rice by it,
Sandwich slice of beef, bread to be between.
Millet and maize, barley and oats,
Porridge, in all its many forms

Grass.
Short, fine, turf of perfect green,
Cricket pitches, endless days
Stalks to chew on while you laze,
Coverings of homely thatch
Commons blazing from a careless match.

Grass
Trodden underfoot
Or waving above your head,
The bamboo and the fescue,
The quaking and the bent;
Legion, twelve thousand species strong.

Grass
Between bricks and pushing paving
Filling fields and clogging ponds,
Beneath the trees and under snow,
Seeding, creeping, spreading
I am here to stay.


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## sas (Jul 25, 2017)

I guess I wonder about the truth of this poem. Forests regenerate, too, don't they? I have a tree stump that is growing new life. Is grass the beginning of everything, or water? Hmmm.


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## Chris Green (Jul 25, 2017)

I really enjoyed your vision and creativeness in this piece. Grass is often just taken for granted, it is there and it is (for the most part) green. It does grow everywhere, it will find a way out of anything it seems that is piled atop it. Very cool.


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## -xXx- (Jul 25, 2017)

dressing dunes
in plant succession tunes
holding meadowed intentions,
firm but gentle,
beneath
firework flash,
crackle,
of
heat lightning 
_*wiggles toes*_


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 25, 2017)

sas said:


> I guess I wonder about the truth of this poem. Forests regenerate, too, don't they? I have a tree stump that is growing new life. Is grass the beginning of everything, or water? Hmmm.


It evolved about 70 million years ago when the earth was mainly forested. It survives fire better than trees because it is low on the ground and heat rises. Grazing animals keep grassland grassland, they take off seedling trees and kill them.

Forests do , of course, also regenerate. Trees are wonderful, just this was about grass


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## Squalid Glass (Jul 26, 2017)

I read an article today about a growing dumpster in the ocean. It's the size of Mexico. One could spend a bit more time in the grass to get a handle on what true power is, and how that power is beautiful. We could use a little more nature these days.

A very timely poem.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 26, 2017)

Thank you for your comments everyone, It was late last night when I answered Sas and I stuck toa bare minumum I am afraid. I am pleasedit was so  wellrecieved, I was afraid it was a bit of a list of 'things about grass', though I had tried to work in some rhyme and alliteration there is a bit of a lackof rhythm I felt, anyway, thank you all very much.


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## Firemajic (Jul 26, 2017)

Hello, Olly... I was intrigued by your subject matter, at first I thought this was about :grass".... you know, the kind found in a joint... hahaaaa.... anyway, I loved the imagery and it brought to mind the smell that I love, a new mown field, the grass drying in the sun, the essence of summer.... so, I enjoyed this poem a lot and look forward to reading your next one... thank you for sharing


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## SilverMoon (Jul 26, 2017)

> Originally Posted by *Olly Buckle*
> 
> I was afraid it was a bit of a list of 'things about grass', though I had tried to work in some rhyme and alliteration there is a bit of a lack of rhythm I felt


Olly, I do not read this poem as a bit of list of things at all. If you went grocery list then that would be different! Your personification of grass is nothing less than brilliant. It truly became a "being" for me. (_Maybe grass and I could go on a date LOL) 
_
I know you're particular when it comes to classic rhyming. I wish I were better versed in the advanced rhyme schemes you often employ but this poem rings superbly well to my ear.  

You worked in very lively figures of speech. All in all, I think this is your best piece of what I've read. It's the kind of poem you want to read over and over again just for the sheer joy of it.

If I were to quote all that I found exceptional, you'd have your list. So, being a huge fan on internal rhyme I'm just going to say I wish this were mine!



> The bamboo and the fescue,



Standing up applause! Laurie


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## Space Cadet (Jul 28, 2017)

I really enjoyed reading this.  This is strong.  I feel that the first stanza can be omitted; I feel it is too telling too early.  Perhaps it can be reworded.  Moreover, the poem is just as strong/meaningful without this initial, weighty stanza.    You've shared a beautiful piece here, Mr. Buckle.  Thank you for this.  -- Wesley


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 28, 2017)

Space Cadet said:


> I really enjoyed reading this.  This is strong.  I feel that the first stanza can be omitted; I feel it is too telling too early.  Perhaps it can be reworded.  Moreover, the poem is just as strong/meaningful without this initial, weighty stanza.    You've shared a beautiful piece here, Mr. Buckle.  Thank you for this.  -- Wesley



Thank you forthe comment. The place in the more than human timescale seemed important to me. The idea that it fought the battle with the trees of the earliest forests and won, that many upland areas are only not forested because sheep or goats nip off the young seedlings, that people trying to re-establish natural woodland have to put deer proof fences, all that sort of stuff, is like meat and drink to me, love it.

That is probably why I led with it, wham blam; it is maybe a tad top heavy (  only a tad   ), perhaps I can balance it a bit whilst keeping it in. Thank you for making me think


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## Space Cadet (Jul 28, 2017)

Olly Buckle said:


> Thank you forthe comment. The place in the more than human timescale seemed important to me. The idea that it fought the battle with the trees of the earliest forests and won, that many upland areas are only not forested because sheep or goats nip off the young seedlings, that people trying to re-establish natural woodland have to put deer proof fences, all that sort of stuff, is like meat and drink to me, love it.



Interesting.  I've given it a re-read and still enjoy it.  With or without the first stanza, the poem still makes me think.  

That is probably why I led with it, wham blam; it is maybe a tad top heavy (  only a tad   ), perhaps I can balance it a bit whilst keeping it in. Thank you for making me think [/QUOTE]

 Rightly so, Sir.  I'd rather read a top heavy stanza than one without any wait at all.  W.


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## CrimsonAngel223 (Jul 29, 2017)

I enjoyed this piece very much, thank you for sharing Olly.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 29, 2017)

Firemajic said:


> ... it brought to mind the smell that I love, a new mown field, the grass drying in the sun, the essence of summer....



Medium chain aldehydes, plants produce them when damaged. Acacia trees being eaten by giraffes produce them and the trees down wind detect it and start producing bitter tasting substances in their leaves which protect them from grazing, plants talking to each other! Some leafy plants attacked by caterpillars then produce scents that attract wasps and ichnumen flies, which attack the caterpillars. Plants talking to other species. Being a nerd can be fascinating sometimes, well it can if you are a nerd.


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## sas (Jul 29, 2017)

Olly Buckle said:


> Medium chain aldehydes, plants produce them when damaged. Acacia trees being eaten by giraffes produce them and the trees down wind detect it and start producing bitter tasting substances in their leaves which protect them from grazing, plants talking to each other! Some leafy plants attacked by caterpillars then produce scents that attract wasps and ichnumen flies, which attack the caterpillars. Plants talking to other species. Being a nerd can be fascinating sometimes, well it can if you are a nerd.




We apparently haven't adapted as well. If so, we'd secrete a scent to protect us from each other. We are a plague.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 29, 2017)

sas said:


> We apparently haven't adapted as well. If so, we'd secret a scent to protect us from each other. We are a plague.


We do it, protecting and attracting, 'You could smell the fear', 'There was a sortof chemistry between them.' Quite often it is, literally, subtle smells, the repelling ones 'aint even that subtle sometimes  

I think it is more that natural selection's criteria and yours are dissimilar. You are taking  an anthropomorphic approach, naturalselection is about the long term. The first photosynthesising plants put oxygen in the air, they were a plague  to the anaerobic bacteria that preceded them seen from the bacteria's point  of view; from ours it was a necessary step to evolve animals. 'All flesh is grass' may not be literally true, but it all originates in green plants, even if a few steps down the line.


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## haribol (Aug 5, 2017)

I always think about grass, weeds and imagine they are the single most life sustaining thing in nature, for grass grows everywhere. When you leave a little space un-tilled rass grows there. Imagine the world without grass. How barren everything looks like, dray and deserted. Now when our earth has notthing grass suddenly erupts and the whole surface gets a greenary. A great supplier of oxygen it grows evn in unwanted places, even my wall is mossed and I love it though it shabby. 

This is really a great poem and I indeed like this and  find it immensely inspiring. You have a contemplative mind and I hope you might have been inspired by something greart to be  able to wrirte this really beautiful and inspirationall piece.


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## sas (Aug 5, 2017)

Olly, 

You would be the perfect choice for a poem that pays homage to what sustains all the life that poets love to write about (grass, trees, flowers...). I am referring to the dirt that sustains them all. Think on it. Maybe you've a poem.


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## Olly Buckle (Aug 5, 2017)

"You would be the perfect choice for a poem that pays homage to what sustains all ... dirt"

So you are saying I am dirt ? 

Oh, I see, to write a poem, not be the subject of; I hope 

Thank you for your confidence


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## sas (Aug 5, 2017)

I think dirt could be inspirational poem in your hands. Not mine. I hate digging around in it.


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## Olly Buckle (Aug 5, 2017)

I confess, I do like a challenge, hopefully notquite what you expected 

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/172957-Grounded?p=2099167#post2099167


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