Weediest of trees, the acacia now
is hung with pods along the bough,
and drops them all from there to here
to sprout and sprout throughout the year.

Now, of my twoscore years and ten,
how many will not come again
once spent outdoors upon my knees
rooting out those tiny trees.

And yet, their sap is used for glue,
for candy, and for fireworks too,
while other cultures eat their seeds
and thrive upon what we call weeds.