After

I would have stayed here forever
But they pulled me up from the ground,
And they took shears and snipped off my dangling roots.
And they fell into a red plastic bucket
Looking naked and pale
But when I shook off the dirt
And took in the scent of grass
Fighting death, holding warmth
Nothing had changed, not really
And the leaves followed the taste of the sun,
Just as they always had
Draping their branches in cascades
Murmuring out the words of the wind
Living and dying and falling together.
And my feet found purchase again
Under the boughs,
And I soaked in the warm bath, my eyes heavy
Feeling empty, feeling full
Feeling real once more.
2

You might also like…

Poetry

How to Break a Superhero's Spirit

Wen Wen Yang

Melanie waved at the reporter when he stepped into the coffee shop. Sipping her jasmine tea, she took in his lean frame. He looked so much younger, unmasked.    "Thank you again for speaking with ...  [+]

Poetry

The Sulky Princess

Pascale Bouss

Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who loved each other with all their hearts and wanted to have a child. Soon they had the great joy of welcoming into the world a very pretty little girl ...  [+]

Poetry