stop half-tending me
I.do.not.want.it
a small fire does not annihilate
and what’s love but obliteration?
Suppose I drive a knife into your heart –
cut it clean crosswise
and sow only its showy petals in my garden
Do you honestly think it will grow
Well tell me
Do you
This poem was first published in DED Poetry on December 10, 2022.
Gretchen is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and essayist from the Philippines, where she embraces life while managing bipolar disorder and ADHD. Her confessional pieces unpack the complexities of grief, healing, motherhood, love, and intersections, garnering recognition from the Greg Grummer Poetry Contest and Navigator's Travel Writing Competition.