Subterranean Wonder
A fungus that we see is
generally the fruiting body
of a much more expansive
organism, its thread-like
mycelium extending across
up to thousands of acres
underground, potentially
covering more area than
a blue whale! What’s more,
fungi are nature’s recyclers,
decomposing and reconstituting
dead things, making nutrients
accessible again for other life.
Toadstools may look fascinating,
taste delightful, or poison you
lethally (which I hope you limit
to fairytales). Vast or wee, brightly
colored or nondescript, believe me
when I tell you that mushrooms
are a testament to magic.
Poem by Lisa Lundeen
Lisa Lundeen is an emerging poet, as well as a board certified chaplain, amateur nature photographer, and grateful parent. Her works will appear (have appeared) in “Pensive” and “Friends Journal.” Lisa is a 2021 mentee of Dasan Ahanu in the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series and makes her home in the NC piedmont.