My friend looks like he stands tall and straight.
But for fifty years, he’s lived in his brain.
He can’t bear you to know
he can’t bear his body.
Hidden inside, a fiddlehead,
curled to protect a tender secret
it’s not in vogue to keep.
After the death of one parent’s wits and another parent’s heart,
he tries on the latest fashion.
But bravery carries a price
his sister makes him pay.
And with half a century of silence,
his fetal back is broken.
Unfurling is nothing but pain.
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What a beautiful poem – heartbreaking and soulful line by line. And and the photo choice is perfectly tender as well. Nice work!
Thank you, Susan! I agree–that photo choice is PERFECT.
So powerful and heartbreaking, Sara. The image of the fern, both in the photo and in your words, drew me inside the story. Well done!
Sara what beautiful imagery. I wanted this to be an essay (of course) and to hear more about this tender human being.