Posted by “I enjoy using a lot of symbolism and metaphors in my writing. I mostly find myself especially inspired by my family, nature, and the local beauty of the Hudson Valley.”
A Grove of Strangers
I can still remember how you felt,
rough as the ridges of a tree,
so similar to your motherseed,
yet unrecognizable to her
I wonder as I remember your strong branches,
if I too will become like her,
the one who planted my seed and watched me grow
or if I will grow out of the ground slanted from grief
the forest of our secrets,
full of mismatched trunks,
some so achingly familiar,
others almost a stranger to their own brother
do you know me? truly know me?
I feel you ghost your fingers on my leaves,
the imperfections on my carvings,
but do you ever stop to notice?
notice the sunlight,
that cuts sharp lines between me,
or the worms wriggling into my bark,
rotting me away?
I feel out of place in this forest,
they tell me to shelter the birds from the rain,
when i’d much rather nourish the squirrels
the longing to be cut down burns painfully within
but you’re inescapable,
I’ve grown not just up, but deep below too,
and my roots are too entangled with yours to ever truly seek freedom
The Maroon 