Ed. note — Gardening isn’t often thought of as an act of rebellion. This poem by Ellaraine Lockie whisks us into the quick-strike world of converting an eyesore into a welcoming sight. A little green where once there was bare dirt. A little music (courtesy of the performer Marshweed) where once there was only the sound of traffic. Reverent whispers where once there was nothing worth talking about. A little act of urban rebellion: saying yes to the forgotten and discarded patches of soil in order to create something new under the sun. A random act of greenness.
Offerings to the Green Gods
Not alley stench or gnaw of smog
but scrape of Marshweed’s viola/bass tune-up
scour of motors and smell of exhaust
Cause the air at the entrance of the Hollywood/Western
Metro station to hold its breath
Then the exhale rush of twenty-some passengers
who sweep across the platform like prairie wind
to settle on a small plot of brown ground
They wear tie-dyed T-shirts, tattoos, brimmed hats
a Batman costume, batik sarong, crocheted cap
One pushes a wheelbarrow holding
bags of soil and two toddlers
A stealth platoon toting succulents, spades
plastic jugs of water and babies on backs
Marshweed music rides the breeze
and ushers the espionage
Freight train freight train run so fast
Freight train freight train run so fast
Please don’t tell what train I’m on
So they won’t know what route I’ve gone
Mr. Stamen already on hands and knees
issues orders like prayers
A video cameraman follows a woman
who carries a chalkboard with the words
“Guerrilla Gardening” and messages
like “Looking for local person to water”
She asks one of the toddlers
what is his favorite plant
He says “Daddy” through a mouthful of granola
Picks up a feather to stroke his father’s cheek
as the father puts a painted lady into the ground
And the wing is on the bird
And the bird is in the nest
And the nest is on the branch
The redhead holding a jade plant introduces
herself as Ginger and her partner as Desert Rose
The only girl I’ve ever loved
was born with roses in her eyes
Not even a siren’s scream can cloud
the well-oiled hum of this mission
Murmurs as reverent as Sunday morning stop passers-by
who seem to forget train schedules
and the gray hair of frenzy
Thirty minutes later the crusaders pack-up
in an undercover of quiet
Leave thermoses of beer for the band
And stir the air once more with their exit
to the train for the next Metro stop
Where another brown patch waits to be reborn
and where another band will perform the offertories
Freight train freight train run so fast
Freight train freight train run so fast
Please don’t tell what train I’m on
So they won’t know what route I’ve gone
* * * *
Marshweed is composer/performer Heather Lockie’s solo project. Lockie is an LA-based musician and artist who has worked collaboratively with and toured with various local and international artists. For documentation of current and recent projects, please visit www.heatherlockie.com. Various recordings can be heard at: marshweed.bandcamp.com, and the upcoming Marshweed collection of songs “Marshweed in the Garden” can be previewed at: www.marshweed.com (password “poohbear” to access the recordings).
For more on “guerrilla gardeners,” see this article, which includes information about the group in the poem, Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening.
