poetry

an excess of green

an excess of green

the guide apologizes
jungle is excessively green
unlike the riot of orchids
in the plot next door

the garden’s ex-director demanded
color be planted
the remnant rainforest salted
with invasive exotic hues

that’s the simple thinking
of someone who fails to notice
the bronze of a leaf’s underside
rosy blush of a baby blade
seafoam against grey of ebony bark
lemon of a leaf just littered on the floor

now the fiery red splotches
ignorantly planted in the forest
signal wounds we made
by not loving green enough

poetry

under mosquito netting

under mosquito netting

inside the sheer wisp of fine netting
each outside light goes stretched and starburst
until sleep lets us surrender
to a false sense of safety

we enter and our mindset shifts
waking >> sleeping
apprehensive >> accepting
everyday >> romantic
common >> exotic
exposed >> protected
(partially)

each time I tug one gap closed
another springs in its place
impossible to fully close out
jungle

poetry

Fire + Air + Water + Air + Chlorophyll

Fire + Air + Water + Air + Chlorophyll

sun burns 93 million miles
touches river
still air decides to move in a jungle sigh
beams bounce in shimmering waves
dance across soft undersides of overhead leaves
paint swirls of gold into the green
make a fairy light I now know to look for
as improbably probable as rain + sun = a spectrum in the sky

poetry

victory

victory

in the jungle
headlamp draws
so many bugs
I can’t breathe

even held in my hand
light invites too many
winged spectators
to be able to think
about anything
except being done

as usual
arthropods win