milkweed raze upturned fireworks frozen in free fall medicine for the monarchs toxic to my mouth i could live in the hood and horn of your perianth asleep in a cluster of coma until your pollen wakes me to kiss the pale pink of your petals 220701 ... tender_square “it’s too bad about your milkweed,” eric said. he was stripping away the valuable parts he could salvage from his red truck; the motor was toast and it would cost too much to restore. “what do you mean?” i looked over at where the four stalks had been blooming. they had come back after last year’s stems greyed and snapped a few weeks ago. i carried their dried husks in my hands, mourning them as they fell, one by one. “no! the lawn guys cut them down! FUCK!” “i had been admiring how they were coming in,” he said. their clusters of violet sparks hadn’t yet burst, only budded, but their leaves were broad and tapered, like stacked canoes. they needed more time. “i can’t believe they did this!” the guys didn’t just snap the stalk of the one that was growing outside of the raised bed, they took a rotating blade and maimed the stems growing by the hibiscus trees. only one plant remained now, camouflaged by the branches of other greenery. “well, there are people who do consider them weeds,” he offered. “i mean, i guess that’s true," i conceded. "weed is in the name, after all.” 220701 ... kerry in the summer milkweed filled the ravine. we broke the hairy stalks and let its pale blood drip out onto our palms. 220701 what's it to you? who go blather from