“Cactus Dreams”

If I were a plant,

I’d be a cactus

Only blooming in the heat

And storing every bit of liquid affection I can grasp

I would flourish in the heated arguments

With the sun

Being right wasn’t a need,

All that matters is that I’m brave enough to challenge the hierarchy of the sky

If I were a flower,

I’d be a winter primrose

Frozen, yet beautiful

Scared, yet flourishing

I would stand, lower than you

But still standing

If I were a tree,

I’d be dead

Turn me into your notebook

And fill me with your stories

Tell me your deepest secrets,

Never erase what is true, no one can hurt us now

– Robert Owens, 2/4/20