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Always Look a Gift Horse In the Mouth

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From China came a large packet of seeds My garden bare; it would see to my needs I put them all in the ground And when they sprouted I found I'd only planted Japanese knotweeds. Written 8th August 2020. For "Mystery Seeds" "Poetry Contest Sponsored By Carolyn Devonshire.

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Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 8/19/2020 11:48:00 AM

- Congratulations, Tom :) - // Anne-Lise :)

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/19/2020 11:50:00 AM

Thank you Anne, hope alls well. Tom

Janice Canerdy

Date: 8/18/2020 6:39:00 PM

I'm back with CONGRATS, Tom! Janice

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/18/2020 11:46:00 PM

Thank you very much Janice, Much appreciated. Tom

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/18/2020 4:22:00 PM

heehee, cute little humor, Tom. Congrats on the win

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/18/2020 6:11:00 PM

Thank you very much Andrea, im happy you liked it. Tom

Carolyn Devonshire

Date: 8/18/2020 2:09:00 PM

Oh, Tom, I love the humor in your entry! Of course, if this actually happened, I don't think anyone would be laughing. Congratulations on your win in the contest! Best wishes, Carolyn

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/18/2020 2:14:00 PM

Thank you very much Carolyn, when I first heard about it I thought they might be something sinister eg Japanese knotweeds lol, thankfully they weren't, thanks too for hosting the contest. Tom

Alkas Poetry

Date: 8/17/2020 6:54:00 AM

Oh my God such an invasive weed !? ol. very good my friend, salute alkas

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/17/2020 7:52:00 AM

Thank you very much Alkas, I've heard of folk having problems with it growing up through the floor in their houses. Tom

V. Deepa

Date: 8/14/2020 7:10:00 AM

Nice humour filled poem dear Tom sir:-) Enjoyed your mystery poem:-) Keep inspiring us. I believe your doing well:-) Have a lovely day.Take care.Warmest regards sent to you:-)

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/14/2020 10:26:00 AM

Thank you Deepa, a lot in the US have had these free seeds, I'd be very wary planting them. Tom

Krish Radhakrishna

Date: 8/13/2020 2:41:00 AM

Japanese plant from China! Growing in UK! Lovely Limerick Tom! Good humour!

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/13/2020 3:55:00 AM

Thank you very much Krish, greetings from Woolacombe bay, weathers been warm and sunny so far. Hope you're well Tom

Timothy Mcguire

Date: 8/11/2020 9:34:00 PM

I like a good limerick and this is certainly a good one.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/12/2020 12:39:00 AM

Thank you Timothy, im pleased you liked it. Greetings from Woolacombe bay, im away at the moment with the grandsons. Hope you're well Tom

John Watt

Date: 8/9/2020 2:18:00 PM

Fun poem, Tom. As someone once said, "Weed 'em and reap"

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/9/2020 2:28:00 PM

Thank you John, one job I wouldn't fancy tackling, knotweeds, over here specialist firms are needed and are really expensive, there wouldn't be much left to reap when you'd paid the bill lol. Tom

Jennifer Proxenos

Date: 8/9/2020 1:10:00 PM

Hi Tom, I really had a laugh, we all have enough to deal with without weeds from the other side of the world! A really fun read, Blessings, Jennifer.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/9/2020 2:23:00 PM

Thank you Jennifer,. Ordinary weeds are bad enough but the knotweeds are another level especially if they get under your house. Tom

Michael Tor

Date: 8/9/2020 9:34:00 AM

Hope they resolve this weed problem, Tom...

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/9/2020 9:37:00 AM

Thank you Michael, not sure I'd plant free seeds sent from abroad from an anonymous source. Tom

Jenish Somadas

Date: 8/8/2020 11:24:00 PM

lol.. lovely Limerick Tom.. Good luck in the contest...

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 11:26:00 PM

Thank you very much Jenish, Im. Pleased you liked it. Tom

Lindsay Laurie

Date: 8/8/2020 8:46:00 PM

Hello Tom ... not a pleasant thought at all Tom. It's hard enough to keep local weeds under control without adding to the problem. I trust you'll beat the problem - thanks Tom - Lindsay

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 10:55:00 PM

Thank you Lindsay, I've heard its not your average weed and you have to get the experts in. Tom

Gershon Wolf

Date: 8/8/2020 8:32:00 PM

Cute one, Tom. Hope you've untied all the knots by now! Smiles, Gershon

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 10:53:00 PM

Thank you Gershon, getting there lol.

Janice Canerdy

Date: 8/8/2020 3:06:00 PM

Hey, it could have been worse, Tom. LOL! Janice

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 3:13:00 PM

Thank you Janice, turns out they weren't as sinister as first thought. Tom

Silent One

Date: 8/8/2020 2:03:00 PM

Ha!!! Oh I feel the angst of all Gardners when it comes to Japanese knotweed.... What a strange year for plants an flowers... So many of my dahlia and begonia have not flowered yet... And I still have pansies and viola I'm bloom!

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 3:11:00 PM

Hopefully theyll start to bloom with this heatwave, keep them well watered although a slight chill in the mornings tell me autumn is coming. Tom

Darlene De Beaulieu

Date: 8/8/2020 1:13:00 PM

Hello Tom, it sounds like you did not get what you wanted in seeds. Enjoy your day my friend.

Darlene De Beaulieu
Date: 8/9/2020 7:56:00 AM

Hello Tom I do not blame you. enjoy your day my friend.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 1:41:00 PM

Thank you Darlene, im always wary of free gifts. Tom

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 8/8/2020 12:54:00 PM

- I wish you good luck with your Japanese knotweeds ... hope they become perfect ... and huge :))) - Well done, Tom :) - Have a wonderful weekend :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 1:21:00 PM

Thank you Anne, they might look nice but I wouldn't want them growing in my garden. Tom

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/8/2020 11:34:00 AM

haha. Good one, my friend!

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 12:11:00 PM

Thank you very much Andrea, I was curious after reading many in the US had recieved them. Thankfully they were quite harmless. Tom

Demetrios Trifiatis

Date: 8/8/2020 10:11:00 AM

I have spent 7 months in China and visited a great part of it plus learned some Mandarin: Speaking and writing. What they eat , I cannot even mention. The same goes with everything else therefore your amusing Limerick reflects reality over there. Beautifully done my friend, Tom.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 11:21:00 AM

Thank you Demetrios, a lot of folk were suspicious of these seeds they received, turns out it was some marketing scam and quite harmless. Tom

Panagiota Romios

Date: 8/8/2020 9:48:00 AM

I liked this Tom. Best wishes from your friend across the pond, Pangie xx

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 11:19:00 AM

Thank you very much Panagiota, by any chance did you receive any.. Tom

John Gondolf

Date: 8/8/2020 9:29:00 AM

Enjoyed the humor in this one, Tom, best of luck in the contest. John

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 11:18:00 AM

Thank you very much John, I know your fda have declared them harmless but it did seem a bit sinister. Tom

Vijay Pandit

Date: 8/8/2020 6:29:00 AM

Clever take and clever imagery in your photo--a fun read, Tom.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 6:42:00 AM

Thank you Vijay, have heard its only a marketing scam and the free seeds are harmless, that said I wouldn't risk planting them. Tom

Jenna Logan

Date: 8/8/2020 6:23:00 AM

Ten smiley faces go here. :) I searched and found that although it's quite pretty, it's terribly invasive and nearly impossible to kill. Good luck with that and in the contest, Tom.

Tom Cunningham
Date: 8/8/2020 6:41:00 AM

Thank you very much Jenna, thankfully I haven't got a problem but have heard horror stories of it growing in peoples houses and to get rid of it costs thousands of pounds. If it gets in your foundations it can weaken the structure of your house. If I get any FREE seeds they're going in the trash lol. Tom