Inner Universe

Was inspired to dig out this poem in response to this remarkable piece of prose-poetry.   The idea of the inner universe appeals to me.

Sapling

She stands in the garden
Where saplings grow,
Shooting up between paving stones
Against all odds
She turns away to face
The arid landscape of the city
A gawky teenager shuffling awkwardly
In a doorway

She bites down on her knuckles
They have seen her blood
Their eyes burn holes
Right through her
She has been exposed
A kind of primal fear emanates from her
She is wounded by the heat
Of their collective gaze

Her spirit resides
In a hot and dry wasteland
Arid and soulless amid burning sands
And parched rock
She feels the earth turn
Beneath her
She feels the sky twisting
In on itself

She watches her life dissolve
Her body is a cry for help
Bewitched by their lies
She is fragmenting
As the dust settles
On the years of her life

Tags: creative writing, garden, inner universe, inspiration, poetry, prose-poetry