House Plants

[indar]

What if they are sentient?
Humans misjudged these things before.
Who knew a gorilla
could learn sign language, for instance,
then use it to evidence abstract thought?

I talk to my peace lilies.
NASA says they trap mold spores.
Keep up the good work, I say,
and pump up the oxygen.  

I stroke the long ribbony leaves
of my snake plants,
they have such pretty skins.
OK, that's a little too intimate isn't it?

I should pay more attention 
to the Swedish ivy that wends its way
up the room divider
but it's such a common plant and I admit
to being somewhat classist:

a fault I'm trying to overcome.

[Dave]

Hey Linda
I enjoyed this a lot. Sometimes are expressly good because they are pleasant to read. They are simply enjoyble to come back to and to encounter again like a friend of a piece of music. This is one of those.
Dave

[Tracy Mitchell]

What an endearing poem, and that's because of N., who has adopted her plants as family members. She talks to them, fondles them, and worries about them. The "What if they are sentient?" line is curious because N. has already decided they are.

Mold spores? Yay Lillies!

Is "classist" intended, rather than "class conscious"?

First line reminds me of the Jack Handy quote:

“If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.”

Cheers.

T

[indar]

The Peace Lily for Clean Air | NewPro Blog (newprocontainers.com)

Thank you both Dave and Tracy. Glad its worthy of a reread.

Maybe it's good to talk to them just in case

YES to "classist": changing immediately.

[Matty11]

class conscious

I very much enjoyed this too. There is an inclusive 'intimacy'. I'm divided on the revision because being 'conscious' of is a theme of the poem. I like how the poem's N. doesn't lose awareness of self in the judgement of others and in the solitude.

best

Phil

[indar]

I'm divided on the revision because being 'conscious' of is a theme of the poem. I like how the poem's N. doesn't lose awareness of self in the judgement of others and in the solitude

Oh oh, now I'm second guessing the revision as well. Thanks for your feedback Phil, I'll ponder the options.

[Tracy Mitchell]

Hello again,

There are two reasons I suggested consideration of 'classist'. First, historically, class-consciousness refers to the old lefties' goal of 'educating the masses' -- i.e. raising their class consciousness so that members of the proletariat would understand how as a class they are being oppressed by the bourgeoisie, and thus be equipped to revolt against this oppression by the owners of the means of production. That's a heck of a lot of baggage to import into this poem. Second, 'classist' suggests an assumed superiority over the 'lower' classes, which the N. presumably does see as a fault to overcome. The poem can go in hugely different directions depending on which word or phrase is chosen, as -- what precisely is the 'fault' to overcome? Just my thoughts.

Cheers.

T

[indar]

Gosh, I had no idea, thanks Tracy. Of course the proper term in this context is "classist".

That solves that

[Matty11]

Fair point Tracy. I'm not familiar with the word classist, and have used class conscious in the same context, but you are right it doesn't have the same baggage.

best

Phil

[Colm Roe]

Love this Linda, but you probably knew I would.
It is engaging and endearing. You finish it so well, so honestly and with some nice humour.