We Were Planted Too Close
Shayna Prace
Flowers are beautiful, but they’re not worth
the suffocation. My garden bed dries out
too fast when I’m planted too close to my
neighbors. I’m sick of my nutrients
being sucked away from me by those pesky
daffodils. My favorite poem reminding me
that the daffodils can go fuck themselves.
I deserve some nutrients of my own and space
to let my roots breathe. It’s bad enough having
those towering delphinium block my sunlight
everyday, as if they deserve it more than I do.
The pansies keep me up at night with their
constant chitter-chatter. They glare at me when
I shush them, so I keep my petals shut. When
people stop to admire us, I’m the last one ever
noticed. I thought people loved tulips, but maybe
I’m the exception.
Our garden is shared by the family dog, and I hope
he’ll find my home inviting and bury a bone beneath
my feet, ripping apart my soil and roots, finally
giving me some air. I’d much rather be a dog’s
favorite hiding spot than beauty with no room to survive.
Shayna Prace is a senior English major, a coffee addict, and a self-proclaimed Harry Potter geek.
coraddimag.com 