13 September 2021
Tending by Eileen Chong
A weed: un wanted plantin mimicry of its surrounds
Bare-armed women sluice dead matter down drains
Horsehair broom bristlesaffixed with horse glue
An eye discerns one un like the others
Grass grows above iron, towards light
Even leaves have teeth
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Even leaves have teeth
Grass roots regenerate blades
Break in crazed patterns
Herds stamp wild as wind through blood
My mother’s dark hair an un bound river
Under growth: persistskyward; sun-memory
Eileen Chong is a poet and the author of nine books. Her latest collection is A Thousand Crimson Blooms from the University of Queensland Press, Australia. Her work has been shortlisted for many awards and prizes, including twice for the Prime Minister's Literary Award. She lives and works on unceded Gadigal land of the Eora Nation.
Photo by Samuel Austin on Unsplash
