In recognition of Poetry Month, and to celebrate our treasure trove of Orcas Island poets, Orcas Issues is pleased and honored to offer daily poetry during April.

A GERMINATE DATE
by Carla Stanley

Layfe the Leaf was born up aloft
one day in the spring
all greenish
and soft.

Ageless and seasoned and noble of kin
in time he’ll grow up
bud now –
scrawny
pale dirty
see throughingly thin.

A pinch of existence
Layfe’s a seedling
from the start
to get larger than life
is encased
in his heart.

A seed ain’t just a seed
it’s a thing to behold…
it’s food! It’s life!
It’s preciouser than castles
or space ships
or money bills
or gold!

Add water and sun
things then really get fun.
Stick around and you’ll see
the miracle – the birth
give it room
give it earth!

Who knows, really
where when the first seed sprouted?
The continent?
The place? The farm? Pot? Soil? Salad?

Plants keep vein secrets and give what they can
life can be longish
or shortish
with this pruning by hand.

We coax them and hoax them
from hard case packed luggage
we mix ’em and fix ’em
ground stuff ’em then
pillage with pullage.

Come back with me now
back beginning with Layfe.
The sweetest
greenest thing
growing small
growing safe.

This leaf has it all – really quite
able
in the future we’ll
celebrate
I’ll serve Layfe
for dinner
at
my
kitchen
table.

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