On a cool early autumn morning
we prowl the northern slope trail
looking for camouflaged three-leaved
trillium, jack-in-the pulpit,
or glossy Soloman’s seal,
lurking near sugar maples.
We hunt for five-leaf spreads,
three big, two small,
that betray the rare herb
that takes five years to mature
and can only be harvested by
murder.
Because reaching jen-shen,
the thick root shaped
like a human figure
with multiple limb-like tendrils,
requires digging out the entire plant.
We too are rare, able to hunt
unlicensed on our own land
as long as the harvested part
of the corpse is not sold
on the black market.
Final success brings apologies
as we prayerfully plant
the leftover fragile seeds.
Such a frivolous crime to commit
simply to display the dried root
to visitors and boast about
the value growing on our land.
Long-term guilt.
