Why

by Jessica Wheeler

In this unforgiving,
barren land,
I grow
from roots that grip
the parched and
arid earth.

Spared

by a relentless sun,
I am allowed

to rise.

Yet this pardon
I must question.
I've asked
for no such mercy
to endure this heat
and howling wind
to not merely survive-
but to bloom.

I fear a coming
catch,
a price unspoken,
a toll unseen,
against which I must guard.

A shield of distrust
surfaces,
sharp, defensive spikes
among the flowers
that dare
show color here.

And I
remain resilient,
wary and wondering
why.

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Free Verse Poetry Contest contest entry

Recognized

#45
June
2024

This piece was inspired by reflections on survivor's guilt.

Pays one point and 2 member cents.

Artwork by Charlotte Morse at FanArtReview.com

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A Free Verse

Why

by Jessica Wheeler

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