For my brother John
you know centuries of the world
in that the world is your people
and your people love
to grow with you
like how we live
centuries longer in a forest
not planted alone
you capture photogenic light
in the windy dances of friends
the music of crackling roots
and you know the root of
some pain is love too
how when we were small
I had homework on photosynthesis
you weren’t schooled yet
and you asked why we stopped playing
we had that game Imagine
like imagine a fort is our home now
and I said I had homework
but you were right to ask
why did something get in the way of us
how we grew apart to grow back together
now in rainstorms we drink
and create our own sweetness
imagine how humans could love
like our rate of photosynthesis
patient and profitless
all trees have the same rate in a forest
to live as neighbors is a practice
and I’m proud of how you grew
your sunlit breath intact
amid billionaires’ deforestations
imagine we reach the sky
imagine we defy erosion
for more sunlight
surrounded by forest after forest after forest
before we rest
Spencer Tierney
Spencer Tierney is a writer based in Oakland, California. His work has been published by The Racket and has been performed at San Francisco Bay Area literary shows such as Happy Endings, Literary Speakeasy, Club Chicxulub, and The Racket.