I’ve got, I know
Another thousand chances
On most days, I breathe better
But I’m still holding on for life
God should give us more time
I think
The garden grows
Flowers spring up from soil then die and decompose into bits of mulch and nutrients
for the seeds to sop up
I leave behind painted rocks and imaginary forts in the garden
Magnolia boughs that creak when you climb on them
Pear trees that flower and make the air smell sweet
Then, when the time comes, I bite into the soft flesh and watch the ants gather at my
Bare feet
Behind the daffodils, I’ve built a pool for the fairies
Grass is mown
But we leave the chives so we can cook
Grandma doesn’t speak English, neither does the mower
They communicate through waving hands and scrunching noses
I grow like the chives in the garden—
Even if I am mown, I grow back, bigger, better
I spread
Mom tells us to pick the dandelions, but I secretly blow the seeds free.
I watch as the seeds take flight and drift in the sunlight
I follow until they land in a bed of clover
Can the grass seeds flower? I think
The grass grows and doesn’t flower
But the smell comes
The pool in the garden gives way
To bigger daffodils, and the mower swerves
Garden ants climb the boughs
Of bare trees I painted secretly
Nutrients climb through
Leaves, wave and gather
Dandelions I grew into seeds
The bits blow left from my nose as Mom watches
I make Grandma bite seeds, and they creak open
In sunlight mulch and chives scrunch from being mown
Then my feet bring imaginary into forts my to speak and sweet us
English I’ve and soil take garden follow the of rocks
Chives Magnolia pick into spread soft fairies and cook flight
We then am up hands a and when we I
Grows Pear the as the drift your does so free
Flower air up and decompose leave it in The Behind
Build die land flesh like
Olivia Park is a high school student who loves poetry. Olivia has been recognized in school literary magazines and local competitions. When not writing, she finds inspiration in art, music, and nature.
Featured image by Keegan Houser on Unsplash.
