James W. Kershner reads his poem, "Invasive."
Invasive
Phragmites australis
reed under siege
damned by naturalists
userper of cattails
wild rice
wetland orchids
dubbed Phragmites vulgaris,
but noted in brackets
[illegitimate name]
Phragmites thickets
make poor homes
for mussels and crabs
prolific Phragmites
lovely on roadsides
sturdy tall reeds
with fluffy tan plumage
blowing in gentle
onshore breezes
Phragmites americanus
decried as an alien
no longer welcome
I used to call you “sea wheat”
amber waves of grain, I thought,
from sea to shining sea.
James W. Kershner of Cummaquid is a professor at Cape Cod Community College, where he teaches a variety of writing courses. A former journalist, he is the author of two textbooks on writing. He is the co-founder of Steeple Street Poets and the leader of the Cape Sangha, a Buddhist meditation group.