My Personal Botany
Maria Jakobsen
Plants are growing in my body-
long chains of jasmine, honeysuckle, wisteria
replacing my veins, streams.
Seeds in my lungs, itch, daisy, lily, iris growing,
breathing my air, leaving nothing for me as I gasp.
I pour water down my trunk my throat.
Please do not die dear floral friends of mine
take all my air, water and blood.
Dear alyssum growing in my stomach, planting roots
I promise I will not forget, take all that I have.
All my sunlight is for you sweet viola heart
burning the skin off my bones to put food on your table.
Soon you will be everything there is, tender rose
my body a garden, jasmine, lily, viola turning my flesh into dirt.
Forget-me-nots falling from the corners of my eyes onto the bathroom tiles
Surrounding me, swallowing me whole.
Maria Jakobsen was born and raised in Norway, but is currently studying towards a BA in Film and Creative Writing at Lancaster University, UK. She had her short story 'Passing Through' published in Flash Literary Journal, and writes for SCAN: Student Comment and News. Twitter: mariasjakobsen