Oak leaves leave me: They fall and I do not see
them until my foot screams out that I have trampled
a beloved thing.
Maple seeds select me; and I feel grateful that one
lands on my tongue to melt. Reminds me of a time before I
knew that I
would be happier trading my eyes for branching roots.
Beeches beseech me to actually Google what they look
like: It would be a lie to say I got into
horticulture and plants to impress crushes, but
here I am—
Birch trunks transform me—Or my attitude: For I always associate them with Minecraft, and Minecraft with Kakashi: Likely one of the first examples of “gender envy” I
have ever had. My sister and brother
still game, but we mostly do Mario Kart instead: I
hear my sister’s Platinum-ranked in Valorant, though.
Pine needles needle me: And they shift and and undulate
under my eyelashes, my nails, my very shortened breath: I
look to the future, and pray to some mushroom-
covered thing to bring me the steel-covered ones:
The metal needles with vials of—
T
rees always remind me of where
I have to be, and
please, I think:
let me stay,
I want to say
I, my tongue:
Look! It’s covered in
leaves of oak
leaves leaving—-
Ace Sang-Yong Ko is an author exploring trans futures (and may actually be a tomato plant). He writes about anything particularly interesting at the time. Their previous publications include the Quil and Keyboard. He may be found at sangyongko.carrd.co, but that is not entirely guaranteed.