gardening for dummies

gardening for dummies

sometimes I open my mouth to speak

but no words come out

instead I choke on the fluttering wings

of the butterflies in my stomach

I desire emotional connection

but shy away from human contact

like a withdrawn mimosa plant

I plant my hopes like seeds

and water them with tender care

waiting for them to come to fruition

but my fingers are not green

and everything I touch

seems to crumble back into the soil

despite this

I grasp onto my goals and dreams

with what little ambition I have

like tendrils intertwining themselves

around large trees

seeking sunlight in unlikely places

you can’t blame a plant for wanting to grow

the same way

you can’t tame a heart filled with wildflowers

because no matter how often

they get trampled on

they still bloom by sheer force of will

the strength of a plant

is not to be underestimated

it is perfectly acceptable

to remove toxic people from your life

the same way you would

weeds from a garden

raking out the negativity

is a form of self-love

so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

above all,

do not be afraid to be in full bloom

let yourself be excited,

exercise fervency and love ferociously,

foolishly

and if everyone else laughs,

so be it.

liverworts that grow in shallow water

with shallow mind sets

will always be in envy of

flowers that bloom.

learn to embrace the rain

as ardently as you do the sun

because both are needed

for plants to grow.

someday I hope to look back on

how much I’ve grown

and be able to truly say that

I sprouted from the concrete.

                                                              m.y.