Tumeric

Olena, Hawaiians call it,

golden root of earth,

sending up large green

fleshy leaves, smelling spicy,

ten months in soil,

then golden orange fingerlings

ready to harvest from dirt

Curry, chai tea, natural medicine

for just about anything,

some plants worth planting and praying for—

this, for sure one of those

-from Weaving Green and Other Poems from a Tropical Farm