Daughter of the Earth, she is

by Sarah Nicole Tyler





a canopy of branches steeped in droplets of love, and heavy heart things

spring in coils from her sun-seeking head

reaching, reaching, r e a c h i n g for light

and air

and water

and the breath exhaled by all the bitter beings

that visit her when they are lonely;

Lost souls looking to talk aloud to a planted thing

that they know

will stay behind

when they go

but, oh,

how it feeds her.

How she thrives

for a little while or so

until up and off they flow ~

Oh! She longs to be like the water

which splashes and plays and follows

whomever it wishes, whenever it wishes

and goes wherever it wishes to go.

She wants to be like the air, who is

everywhere and sees everything, yet

nowhere and feels nothing, all at once.

Or sometimes, some days,

most of all she wishes to be like the light.

The fiery thing that brings new growth,

and protection, and draws to it all living things

because of its sparkle and strength

and

still

here she sits, a planted thing,

a girl with roots stuck deep in the mud.



“Why, Mother?” asks the girl.

“Why have you created me so? To peak over treetops

at the flurry of cities, with these arms and legs that move

sooooo slowwwww. Everyone overlooks me,

everyone breezes by. Everyday they outshine me.

Please Mother, tell me why?”



But her Mother does not answer.

At least, not so much with words.

There was just a warm breeze

soft, and enduring,

like patience.





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