nothing stronger

than a nice Canadian weed

like wild dandelion and thistle

they break through

rock, concrete, asphalt

the hardest ground

packed gravel

fabric and sand

to say, hello

weeds make cracks and

cracks are their homes

we try to kill ’em

poison ’em

pick ’em

those weeds are armored and resilient

sharp of humor and skin

tough and nonchalant

persecuted but still polite

these obnoxious, noxious greens

come back and say, thank you

again and again

’til winter

sends them deep

south

for five months

typical Canadian,

eh?