(Falcataria moluccana)
by Emily A. Benton
It’s true, I will
grow anywhere.
My mother
could attest.
I’m not afraid
to uproot,
change jobs,
make friends
over cold brews
and brunch.
You wouldn’t
be the first
to call me
too assertive,
a neighborhood
bulldog,
a climb-to-
the-top-
know-it-all.
I want that
360° view
just like
anyone else.
Does it bring
you pleasure
to cut me
down, to trim
my heavy crown?
Watch me fall:
I’ll take the power
lines with me,
adapt to the saw,
then frame your
finest work
on a gallery wall.
Emily A. Benton is a poet, writer, and editor living in Honolulu. Her poems have appeared in journals such as Hayden’s Ferry Review, Radar Poetry, Harpur Palate, Hawai’i Review, and ZYZZYVA. She is a graduate of the MFA Writing Program at UNC Greensboro and serves as an assistant poetry editor for storySouth (www.storysouth.com). More details at www.emilyabenton.com.
Hawaii Pacific Review 