1.
the stamen lets go—
not out of certainty,
but something close.
what it flings
won’t land today.
2.
out west
you don’t bury grief.
it breathes beneath
cracked soil
and smouldering fences.
3.
mycelium doesn’t wait
for speeches.
it works in the dark—
no praise,
no parade.
4.
lichen won’t ask permission.
it takes the stone
like a promise
never made
but held anyway.
5.
brittle, yes.
but some things break
and still keep holding on.
that’s what lichen does.
6.
death gave lichen
no calendar.
it just stayed.
kept staying
when nothing else did.
7.
me?
i’ve stopped asking
for what doesn’t come.
the sky’s got
its own story.
8.
so i wring
what little
it leaves behind.
sometimes,
clouds bleed quiet.
9.
a calyx—
not seeking meaning,
just keeping shape.
it holds breath
like it knows what’s next.
-
Author:
crypticbard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: December 29th, 2025 05:06
- Comment from author about the poem: ...in 9 movements.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 12
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Friendship, Tristan Robert Lange
Offline)
Comments7
This poem ingeniously weaves seemingly unconnected pieces together into a breathless work. There are several lines that I loved parts 2 and 4 were particularly stunning. "clouds bleed quiet" is a wonderful line. For one that understands this poem is not only botanical but a metaphor as well and one that people would do well to understand. A masterful work Cryptic my congratulations
Thank you for that, Soren. This particular poem was passed over or pushed under from last year and remained as a draft until today. You have allowed me to realise its poetential and timeliness share. Muchly appreciated 🕊️🙏
It is my pleasure Cryptic to review your wonderful work that I feel is under rated and under read as one of the best poets on the site.
Well done as always!
Thanks Katie. Most kind of you 🙏🏻🕊️
I enjoy this poem very much. Your poem uses natural imagery to convey the emotional weight of grief, the inevitability of change, and the ways in which life continues despite sorrow. It juxtaposes elements of nature with personal reflection, emphasizing how both are interconnected.
Thank you for affirming the reality of these connections. They are quite significant indeed 🙏🏻🕊️
I endured to the end of this good write, which is more than I can say for some over-long poems on here! lol.
Oopsies… some of mine are quite lengthy. Thanks for bolstering the idea of short and sweet🙏🏻🕊️
But I mean any that go on for, oh I dunno, about 4,367 verses! lol.
Lol, it’s quite an ask to read those like the Iliad and the Osyssey in their original language…. No, wait…in English as well 🕊️🙏🏻
Yes - and we don't ask writers to write poems the length of War and Peace on here. lol.
That would be novels, correct, minus the novelty of it🤩🕊️🙏🏻
My friend, this settles into the body slowly. It’s patient, restrained, and deeply attentive. Nothing rushes, nothing explains itself…and that quiet confidence makes it powerful. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
That made it feel worth the while. Thanks for cheering you, my friend 🙏🏻🕊️
You are most welcome, Rik! 😊❤️
Lichen always reminds me of Gravestones ; as in Stanza 6. Good Write.
That and primeval forests which is pretty much nature’s graveyard 🪦 🕊️🙏🏻
Life will always be thre ahead of us Rik.
Andy
Like a continuously unrolling red carpet, it could be imagined!
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