pollen drifting through the upper canopy
a yellow stain upon the thumb
copper rings where the sap dried on the bark
the spine curving toward the only light it knows
warmth collecting in the hollow of the ribs
like something left behind by something warm
a small inscription on the underside of the leaf
in a hand no one has identified
—lyra moon (the botanist who found it did not write down what it said)
july 25, 2026