Basil

King of leaves,
Basil,
Rising from the earth with
Sweet luxury of smell
You awaken the senses
And fuel the soul
Splashed upon the fruits
Of our triumphant culinary
From Greece to China to Genoa,
With rich silk
And elegance one could only dream
A dragon of might
You stand proud
Past the picking
Past the rough paths,
Cold breezes
Still you shine,
Beloved basil
Amid us who cannot decide
You know your duty
Relentlessly,
You grow, grow
Asking nothing in return
A servant of stem
A dreamer of multiplicity
A flowering of life!