didn’t you know: trees communicate
with their offspring and familial elders through
chemical signals leaked from roots—
vital substances shared among them
sustaining lives in times
of lack; a family-sharing system
operating solely underground, but
isn’t that Us? We
found each other in
tender tendrils reaching roots We
rustled our leaves in shifting winds
until heard in open sky
you see that? a pale gray bird
landing on my branch, to
bend the swishy switch beneath
bosoms plumped with curiosity—
curiosity; isn’t that what they always say in the
straight(s)-forward way
never mending the places they break their
uninvited weight
pressing in their passing
a careless seat claimed before
hurry burst departure their
dull-feathered flight home
my family, they gather
blue hydrangea tears in baskets woven with
slender twigs and
heavier things; a nest to carry abundant blossoms in then
gently place the browning-petal orbs in Our heirloom vases
as though still beautiful—
how they wilted so swiftly in that
hostile sun, once cut
revived with gratitude in the solace of
familiar home I am
never a solitary oak quivering
among the lumberjacks
I am of your acorn
I have been conserved
Previously published in Hale Magazine
J.D. Gevry, MPH (they/them; he/him; fae/faer) is an emerging poet from the public health world, whose work has centered serving LGBTQIA+ folx. Their writing is influenced by their experiences as a queer, polyamorous, non-binary trans Vermonter with disabilities. J.D.’s work is published in The Bitchin’ Kitsch, Querencia Press’s Summer 2023 Anthology, Remington Review, and just femme and dandy, among others. Fae won the 2023 Hale Education Poetry Contest and was longlisted for the 2023 erbacce-prize. J.D. currently lives in Massachusetts with faer husband and several plants slowly preparing to meet their untimely death. You can find them on Instagram at @jd_gevry_poetry or Facebook as @JD.Gevry.