Against the Weeds

By Fernando Gallegos

Woven across multiple layers
I can’t remove myself
Intertwined heart
Veins
Blood with dirt
Roots reaching for water
My eyes searching for light
The flesh feels the sun
Hair full of leaves
Fall, spring, summer
Exist at once
I’m nourished by the refuse
But I still hunger for life
Hours, days
I flower, try to reach you
grab your attention
Voiceless for so long
I dig myself deeper
I can’t escape
Bones become brittle
against the stones, rocks, dirt
The mind is lost
Against the weeds