MY JIMSON WEED

A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER, ESPECIALLY A FREEBIE EVEN IF IT IS A JIMSON WEED. A STRANGE PIECE OF GREENERY VISITED ME OFF THE EDGE OF MY PATIO TWO YEARS AGO AND GRACED ME WITH A FOOT TALL STALK, BULGING WITH A FEW GREEN, PRICKLY GOLF BALLS. IT EVENTUALLY FLOWERED WITH A HANDFUL OF WHITE TRUMPETS EXUDING A FAINT, MUSKY PERFUME. I ADMIRED IT. A WEED BOOK IDENTIFIED IT. THE DICTIONARY WARNED ME ABOUT MY NEW NEIGHBOR, "A TALL, COURSE, EVIL-SMELLING, VERY POISONOUS ANNUAL WEED THAT YIELDS IMPORTANT BUT TOXIC ALKALOIDS. NEVERTHELESS, THIS YEAR I FELT DISAPPOINTED WHEN I RECEIVED NO HOPED- FOR RETURN. THEN A SPRINGTIME WALKABOUT MY YARD RESULTED IN MY "EUREKA." TOTALLY UNEXPECTED BUT TOTALLY WELCOME, MY DEADLY NIGHTSHADE HAD EMERGED ELSEWHERE FROM NEW GROUND. TIME PROVED ITS VENGEANCE TO BE SWEET. LAST NIGHT AT DUSK, AT 5 FEET IN BOTH HEIGHT AND CIRCUMFERENCE , IT SPORTED NUMEROUS GREEN, SPIKED FRUIT. ITS GREENERY, HOWEVER, WAS OVERSHADOWED BY 25 IMPRESSIVE WHITE, TUBULAR BLOOMS. WHAT A SHOW! IT STILL WHISPERED, "LOOK BUT DON'T TOUGH" AS I SHOUTED BACK TO MYSELF THAT BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

MY FREEBIE IS A WELCOME GIFT, SUPPOSEDLY NOXIOUS, BUT I'M BIASED. TO ME, NOXIOUS IS FREE MONEY FOR RENT, PRESCRIPTIONS, TRANSPORTATION, SHELTER, DENTAL WORK, SHOES, CLOTHES OR JOB SEARCHES, HANDED OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT VIA LOCAL PROGRAMS TO THE POOR AND NEEDY WHO ESCHEW SELF-SUFFICIENCY. SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS MY INDEPENDENT WEED WITH FLOWERS AS SHOWY AS ANOTHER VOLUNTEER RETURNEE GROWING ALONE AND AS THE LONE SHOWOFF IN A NEARBY FIELD. A CONVOLVULUS, A PERENNIAL, TWINING HERB, BLOOMS WITH HUGE, MILKY SAUCERS STREAKED IN THEIR CENTERS WITH PURPLE. IT DISPLAYS ITSELF UNDER THE WARM, SUMMER SUN, UNNOTICED AS ANOTHER THING OF BEAUTY, EXCEPT BY GOD AND ME.