Don’t believe the plants when they tell you they have your best interests in mind
by Christian Czaniecki (excerpt)
When I was young I was afraid
of everything I got older and realized
I was being overly conservative
Have you ever slept long enough
for your hair to change colors
A tree gone green to red
as a moment so bright that it breaks
every heart in existence
When I was a boy I was terrified
the trees were growing into my room
to carry me away. Every place I’d ever
seen was wonderful until I got there
& it was full of people or worse
I was alone
About the Author
Christian Czaniecki is a teacher, poet, and Fulbright scholar. He completed his MFA at Queens University of Charlotte in 2007. After an extended hiatus from writing because life happens, his current work is in part inspired by experiences from traveling through Southeast Asia and New Zealand in 2018. He is previously published in the literary journals of West Virginia University and the University of South Carolina Beaufort.