Tuesday, January 23, 2018

every ailment on Earth has a remedy

                                                                                            Author:  Leisurelyscientist
Image: The Bittersweet Nightshade (here)

Extending a helping hand a friendly gesture
In answer to a cry for help

Its toxic properties converted to medicinal value
Often destructive otherwise

Where it had been said every ailment
on Earth has a remedy.
It was a question of discovering them more
often by accident or guided by traditional knowledge
The nightshade family of plants offered such a solution

One never could imagine its lethal nature
That could kill an invading army given as a trick
Belladonna was supposed to have been the plant
'that poisoned the troops of Marcus Antonius
during the Parthian wars'

Its medicinal value, varied and many
lessens irritability and pain
as a lotion, plaster or liniment
welcomed with glee and relieve
for those with gout and rheumatism
among others

Yet Bittersweet Nightshade in its innocence
is a member of the same family as the potato and tomato

This brings to mind the Poppy revered before for fallen heroes
but now a curse to mankind

Bjorn at d'Verse Poetics - with poisonous plants

11 comments:

  1. Most interesting Hank, and thought provoking also. Makes one wonder what we are taking when getting our medication.

    Yvonne.

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  2. yep, moderation in all things -- a little of many herbs can do you good but in the wrong dosage, too much can put you under -- I enjoyed your poem of nightshade who helps folks on her good days.

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  3. A little of many a thing can heal, but yep, a lot in the wrong hands of most anything can be lethal.

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  4. Amazing how something so deadly can also be so beneficial.

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  5. These are my favorite parts:

    "It was a question of discovering them more"

    "lessens irritability and pain
    as a lotion"

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  6. Those double uses... curse and blessing both, and if you can see that also the potato is a poisonous plant...

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  7. This reminds me of what I learned a few years ago about homeopathic medicines--that the practitioners use minutes doses of the agents that cause symptoms to treat them. Don't know much more, though. But it comes back to living in moderation, I suppose.

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  8. A delicate balance in natural treatments...can cure or kill.

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  9. The shamans and medicine men of old had wisdom to share. Much to be learned about botanicals. Great write!

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  10. So true. Blessings turned curses, curses turned blessings. Great poem for thought.

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  11. An educational poem. Very informative. Makes me wonder about all the antibiotics we take.

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