It is your looking into my face …
That calms my spirits; is it your grace?
How does your eye upon your leaf,
Instill in me that sense of relief?
Is it your secret face you share?
Whispered incantations through a stare?
That seeds in me a sense of calm,
where monstera is my essential balm?
Look at me with your many-eyed gaze,
Teach me in your botanical ways,
of how to worship the eternal light;
Grow into one; free and erudite.
Is your message twisted in our different frames of time?
Then have the birds tell me in their ritual rhyme.
Fertilize my child to banish this anxiety
by kindling my mind with Botanic piety.
Teach me your dance that you use to grow,
So these emotions will fluidly flow.
Be my guide to find elusive peace,
Whereby I am eased, in expertise.
Poem by Gregory Kanhai
Gregory grew up in Guyana and immigrated to the United States after high school. He holds masters degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology. His writing covers topics of identity. As a child he read many nature magazines, spent quiet hours in his mother’s garden observing the insects and plants, and enjoyed the intimacy of power outages. He has rediscovered a need for plants in his life, and is a strong supporter of embracing the natural world to heal from psychological alienation and mental health stress. He spends his free time writing poetry, working on his book ideas, and thinking about how he can be a good participant in this world.