Begin.

Green Buds 

Curled tightly around 

knobbed fingers. Your 

brown limbs relaxing

into the warm spring air. 

I know why you don’t 

want to unfurl. To know 

the length of your time.

Yes, hold on longer. 

Find the corners of sight, 

see blurred movements, 

rain drops. Hear a 

muffled birdsong. Grow 

a bit stronger until 

you can’t not…start.

Then go. Burst open. Show 

your bright green skin to 

animals, air, us. I’m sorry. 

I don’t notice you

individually, just the 

extravagantly beautiful mass 

of all of you.