Life Above Ground
By Ame Maestas
Rain pours on the earth below,
And the plant shakes and bends.
Life goes on and the plant has no control,
But it chooses to let its roots extend.
It stays rooted in the ground.
It doesn’t know what it will become,
Which it realizes is profound.
It only knows where it’s from.
Whether it becomes a plum tree
Or if it becomes a gladiolus flower.
Maybe one day it will turn into tea.
But for now it is young, bitter, and sour.
It has existed, but now it lives.
As the stem and small leaves peak out of the soil.
And it looks within and forgives,
After the long period of inner turmoil.
It is learning and adapting
As it grows out of soil and into the world.
And feels the surrounding vegetation interacting;
Leaves, branches, and stems becoming whorled.
The rain is rough,
But the plant is growing in length.
It has been through enough
And that has given it strength.
And the rain provides water,
Water which drowns.
And yet it offers
Water which is from the heavens and comes down.
And in doing so, it has provided the plant growth.
A feature with Ame, including a recitation of this poem, can be found in episode 7 of FRCC’s favorite podcast Up Front below!
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