"Of Pothos and Tradescantia" by Julia Gaskill

Of Pothos and Tradescantia

I find my plants holding tendrils
up on top of the pantry —
Reaching their leafy limbs
towards one another’s growing grasp —
Maybe in friendship or in love —
Maybe in both —
Do they whisper of the forests
they hail from in distant dreams —
Do they ramble on their aspirations
of new foliage —
Do they bemoan the lack of sun 
or my lack of an attention span —
Do they have growing pains —
Do they fear for the future —
Do they cling to each other
because they need a little help
in their unveiling
and know it is easier 
to become a stronger being
with a loved one’s hand to hold —
Do they see themselves 
in me —
Do they see that I
am growing too —

Julia Gaskill

Julia Gaskill (she/her) is a professional daydreamer hailing from Portland, Oregon. She has competed multiple times on national stages and toured with her poetry across North America. Julia's work has been featured through Pile Press, Vagabond City Lit, Nailed Magazine, Button Poetry, and many more. She was included in the anthologies In Absentia (Bicycle Comics), Excelsior! (FreezeRay Poetry), and A Shape Produced by a Curve (great weather for MEDIA). Julia is the author of four chapbooks, runs the open mic Slamlandia out of Portland, co-founded the Bigfoot Regional Poetry Festival, and is the creator of the spoken word album, Stouthearted Bitch. Her debut full length collection, weirdo, came out through Game Over Books in October 2022. Find Julia at @geekgirlgrownup or juliagaskill.com.

Headshot: Ben Lzicar

Photo Credit: Staff