JAMESTOWN REVISITED

400 YEARS AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THE JOIE DE VIVRE OF THE JIMSON WEED OBSERVED AT JAMESTOWN IN 1607 STILL EXHIBITS ITSELF ON MY PROPERTY. THREE YEARS RUNNING, I HAVE - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - MONITORED MY BEAUTY. MY BEAUTY IS DEFINED AS A COARSE, EVIL SMELLING, VERY POISONOUS, ANNUAL WEED OF THE NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. ALSO CALLED THE THORN APPLE BECAUSE ITS SEED PODS RESEMBLE SPIKED GREEN WALNUTS. REALLY, ITS NAMES DERIVES FROM JAMESTOWN WHERE IT WAS OBSERVED AND NAMED! I WAGER THAT THE HYPNOTIC AND SEDATIVE AFFECT OF THE WEED'S SCOPOLAMINE WAS APPRECIATED CENTURIES AGO BY PILGRIM SETTLERS. I WAGER THAT THE ANTISPASMODIC AFFECT OF ITS ATROPINE WAS TOO. LIFE WAS HARD AND UNPREDICTABLE BACK THEN; LIFE IS EASY AND AS UNPREDICTABLE NOW, AS THE UNKNOWN PLANT THAT GREW OFF THE EDGE OF MY PATIO THREE YEARS AGO. EVENTUALLY IT WHICH RENDERED WHITE, TRUMPET FLOWERS EXUDING A MUSKY, PLEASANT PERFUME. HOPE INFUSED WITH ANTICIPATION WAS REWARDED WHEN IT RETURNED TO GROW AT RANDOM IN ANOTHER LOCATION THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND RE-SEEDING ITSELF FOR ITS RETURN IN 2007.

LIKE THE DEVIL, WHO DEFTLY DISGUISES HIS EVIL AS GOOD, MY JIMSON WEED, PUTS ITS ETYMOLOGY TO THE LIE. IT IS NOT COARSE, IT IS HUGE GREENERY. IT IS NOT EVIL-SMELLING, ITS FLOWERS ARE FAINTLY FRAGRANT. IT IS NOT POISONOUS BECAUSE I DO NOT HANDLE IT. YES, IT IS AN ANNUAL, BUT I ALLOW IT TO RE-GERMINATE. FURTHERMORE, IT IS ONE OF FEW PLANTS THAT HAS GROWN LUXURIOUSLY IN MY UNFERTILE AND USELESS GROUND.

IN THE SHADED LIGHT OF REPEATED SUNSETS, THE DEVIL'S DARLING, BETRAYS ITSELF WITH ITS ARTISTIC APPEAL, TWO DOZEN FLOWERS AND COUNTING. TRUMPETS AS WHITE AND PURE AS ANGEL'S BREATH. I REMEMBER THE COURAGE OF THE PIONEERS, IN AWE AT THEIR TOUGH SPIRIT, THINK OF MY JIMSON WEED, AND SIGH.