By: Arvilla Fee

Everything I Leave Behind

Do not weep, my darling,
as you lay me down;
I haven’t gone that far;

I have flung my poems
into the stars,
see how they wink
conspiratorially
above your head,

I have planted words
in the aspens and the birches,
see how they sway
in every breeze
that brushes your cheeks

I have hidden words
in the early morning mist
that covers the valley,
see how they reveal themselves
as the sun crests the hills

I have given my words
to the monarch butterflies,
see how they land softly
on your extended hand
to let you know I’m still here

Crabapples

the proof is in my skinned knees,
I am a climber of crabapple trees;
I sit on a branch
curved just right for me;
I read
in this lush land of leaves,
hear the humming
of brown honey bees,
drunk on blushed blossoms
of crabapple trees;
I inhale spring
as I sip on iced tea,
cubes clinking on glass;
there’s nowhere else
I’d rather be,
the breeze in my hair,
birds singing with me
the proof is in my skinned knees
I am a climber of crabapple trees.

Lunch Break

trees made of concrete and steel,
never sway, never bend
even a little;
glassy leaves showcase city grime;
perhaps birds still sing,
but who can hear their melodies
over the unholy din of honking,
bustling to and fro, shouting—
each voice more insistent
than the last,
and yet here
in these smog-filled wilds
lies a pristine roof garden,
a 9 x 9 full of curling green ferns,
stout elephant ears, sago palms,
hibiscus, and beautiful bromeliads.
And it’s in this intentional clearing
that I slowly spread mustard on rye
then layer turkey, salami, and Swiss
in delightful little heaps, creating
the perfect deli sandwich.
Then I stretch out on the wicker
chaise lounge, take my first bite,
and sigh with contentment
as the chickadees gather around me,
cheeping for their crumbs.

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Arvilla Fee has been published in numerous presses, and her poetry books, The Human Side, This is Life, and Mosaic: A Million Little Pieces are available on Amazon. Arvilla’s life advice: Never travel without snacks. To learn more, visit her website and her new magazine: https://soulpoetry7.com/