Wildflower Meadow, Medawisla

by Stephanie Burt

The many-
oared asters
are coracles;

the goldenrod
pods, triremes.
They do not

plan their
voyages
to please us.

The tangle
of brambles
and drupes shifts

only slightly
when the wind
attempts to

part the knee-
or waist-high stalks
and thorns. What will

you do or
be in that state
you fear and look

forward to,
when none of
them needs

us, after
the last
seeds leave?

Published on July 19, 2018