it is not indigenous

This is a reaction to "the Man with the Beautiful Eyes," by Bukowski, a part of a
Poetry Challenge on the blog Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers.

My friend Ace told me he was afraid
for the first time in his life.

I said, "Welcome to the world."

There we were, me with my heart
(every day severed)
a fear
of losing wild, overgrown beauty.

And him, wanting to tame the bamboo,
thinking it would make him brave.


Bamboo grows everywhere,
especially in areas its not supposed to grow.
It is not indigenous around here.

But that doesn't stop it from being beautiful.
And I told him that maybe being afraid

is okay.

But he said he wanted to burn
the bamboo forest.