Leftover Seedling Sonnet

Plant memories are rare, it’s claimed
By plant behavior researchers,
Not because plants can’t remember
But because it’s best to forget—

Keeping track molecularly
Of environmental signals
Has a cost. Maybe plants don’t want
To remember—could be better

To put their energies elsewhere.
We who aren’t even memories,
Only memory’s detritus,
Are envious. To live, have lives,

To have memories of our own,
To toss them aside and move on.