What lesson do stinging nettles attempt to teach?
I keep opening the book like my hands
will find tenderness ready to unfold among
fingers as wildflowers. I tried to listen
to the harvest when the leaves started to curl and
wow, did it have a lot to say. I tell you,
there is no shame in turning back into yourself.
This is the way of the world. Meaning,
we must look back on what we started to learn
like blades of grass, the way birch bark curls
uncovering what is new. Do you remember
how you felt that morning. Not the first, but
when you realized we were mirrors to each other.
Do you smile when you catch eyes with a stranger?