13 September 2021
Tending by Eileen Chong
A weed: un wanted plant
in mimicry of its surrounds
Bare-armed women
sluice dead matter down drains
Horsehair broom bristles
affixed with horse glue
An eye discerns
one un like the others
Grass grows above
iron, towards light
Even leaves
have teeth
*
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: persist
skyward; 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
