Sometimes,
when you think of the future,
you see all the branches—
all the if-thens—
trunk to branch to stem.
Sometimes,
when you think of the future,
all the branches look barren—
no fruit or flower or leaf.
Somewhere,
in the temporal pathways,
you breech the outer bark,
prune branches.
Somewhere,
in the temporal pathways—
if you squint—
on the edge of the smallest lateral,
a bud blooms.
He/they. I teach English at a junior high school in western Washington. Outside of work, I worry about a myriad of things and spend time outside.
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