Kudzu

A blanket of green tossed over the land,

Draped so that silhouettes display all that stand.

Outlines of trees, powerlines, an abandoned home,

Even train cars, old trucks, all that rarely roam.

Those in motion are spared its growing grip.

Black roads cut through green with every trip.

From the seat of a moving automobile 

The lush landscape carries great appeal.

Greeted by verdant mountainsides around each turn.

The vibrant foliage resembles that of climbing fern.

Producing emerald images of foreign lands.

All the eyes can see is covered by leafy hands.

Spreading like an out-of-control wildfire.

Leaving the mind to wonder what was there prior.

If we were to peel back that blanket of green,  

What hidden devastating decay could be seen?

Can light penetrate that canopy so thick?

Does fresh air flow or grow stale quite quick?

Do other vegetation once green turn brown?

Crumbling structures once part of a lively town?

What starts as a sprout so small

Can quickly spread, consuming all.

With appearances deceptively pleasing,

Hiding destruction of all that it’s seizing.

Miles and miles of bright green cautionary tale.

Urging all passersby to stop and unveil. 

Warning of rapid spreading from the start.

A reminder of what can take root in the heart.

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