Jan
2
“
instead of the white jasmine
we proclaim the acacia as our national tree
it does not line the campuses of US colleges
is nowhere to be found in tropical gardens
remains untouched by the ikebana practitioners
biologists do not classify acacia as a tree
because it does not support hangings
acacia is the shrub
with which our cities, our deserts
and our poetry is replete
we are much taken with
the spinous acacia
that kept our soil from being washed away into the arabian sea.
