Wednesday Readings- Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath

I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve posted something by Sylvia Plath- although I did in the past share Lovesong by her husband Ted Hughes.

Sylvia Plath  (October 27, 1932-Febuary 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, short story author and children’s author. While Sylvia is probably best known for her novel The Bell Jar, and her personal trials one of my personal favorite pieces of her work is actually quite simple and about a fungus. That’s right, a fungus.

Mushrooms

Overnight, very
Whitely, discreetly,
Very quietly

Our toes, our noses
Take hold on the loam,
Acquire the air.

Nobody sees us,
Stops us, betrays us;
The small grains make room.

Soft fists insist on
Heaving the needles,
The leafy bedding,

Even the paving.
Our hammers, our rams,
Earless and eyeless,

Perfectly voiceless,
Widen the crannies,
Shoulder through holes. We

Diet on water,
On crumbs of shadow,
Bland-mannered, asking

Little or nothing.
So many of us!
So many of us!

We are shelves, we are
Tables, we are meek,
We are edible,

Nudgers and shovers
In spite of ourselves.
Our kind multiplies:

We shall by morning
Inherit the earth.
Our foot’s in the door.

And for a little added fun because one of my favorite artists Ryan Adams has a great song called Sylvia Plath (which has been stuck in my head all day leading to this post); Please enjoy!

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