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A Verdant Upgrade

Poetry by ​Jayanthi Rangan

They were warned by neighbors
To cut their lawn to set standards
They didn’t
Instead, they held a community meeting
And said:
 
To make a golf-y lawn fifty shades
of green
Bush it more, diversify
Rock it with inspiring words
Individualize, Trellis-ize
Let a visual swap be born
For millennials & generation Z
 
This alternate lush is no longer a queen
Waving/smiling from yesteryear
But an ecofriendly Greta Thunberg
Reducing chemicals and water gush
Requesting sustainability
And to incentivize
hardy groundcovers
 
Mow it less, let it grow
Let a micro paddy field
dance in the yards
Clear the insecticide – naturalize
Create some wild  
Trim this fat from the pyramid –
Minimize the lawn area
 
Lawns are water guzzlers
High maintenance
Is this what we want
Folks wanting the eye-candy green courses
Were loud, urgent: Yes, this is what we want
The thinkers thought
What if unique lawn-less common area
Increased the house value
About the Writer
Jayanthi Author Photo
Jayanthi Rangan's poems are her activism and a fighting tool. This poem deals with high-maintenance chemical lawns. Our world has drought areas and places with clean water shortage. We need to change our yesteryear aesthetic and re-imagine our lawny landscape. California has already provided subsidies for those who have reduced their lawns. Jayanthi's recent poem publications are with Zoetic Press, Stonecrop, Rubbertop, Eclectica, Elevation Review, Rigorous, Poet's Choice, Wingless Dreamer and Indolent Books.
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  • Who we are
    • In Support of Black Lives and Voices: How You Can Help
    • Book Reviews
    • Love Yourshelf
    • Reading Night 2019
  • Submit
  • Issues
    • Volume 1
    • Volume 2 >
      • Featured Artist_Mia
    • Tales From Six Feet Apart >
      • Featured Artist_Ariane
    • Volume 3 >
      • Featured Artist_Jiesha
  • Online Publication
  • Editing Service
  • Store
  • Subscribe
  • More
    • Contact us