Hineini
Imagine what it is to be a native plant,
to grow in soil that surrounds like skin,
skin that stretches to fit the rooting,
rooting that touches gold and humus, nourished by that rich sponge.
And there is also a plant that is impossible,
it envies tumbleweed that once had roots
epiphytes are miracles that feed on clouds,
this plant moves from pot to pot by strange hands,
blooms on the shortest day of the year,
drops leaves overnight.
Was there a place in God’s garden
for this stranger and exile
who seeks her home through fire
in that burning bush where nothing else was required?
note: הִנֵּנִיis “Hineini” in Hebrew for “Here I am,” and it expresses a total surrender and willingness to serve. It was said by Abraham, Moses, and other prophets when called by God.
Vivien Drabkin‘s poetry and fiction have been published in Ekstasis, Washington Square Review, and Guernica–A Magazine of Global Arts and Politics. Her poems seek to explore the sacred through an earthly or quotidian lens with a gaze on objects such as a garden, family home, or baseball. She is inspired by poets such as Elizabeth Bishop and Anne Sexton while also drawing on the beauty of God’s language from Scripture. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, where she teaches high school.
Amethyst Review 