POETRY
A Heart, Serotinous
a free verse poem, challenge response
I watch you sometimes,
as you are reading.
The particles of your mind
firing, quick procession
of thought, processing —
a speed I cannot match.
I think of your compassion.
Your generous love, service,
sacrifice —
behind the veil
behind the wall
behind that thin line
no one
crosses.
Serotinous, you are.
Resin packed with smiles.
Perhaps, you know
I
am
fire.
Serotinous cones.
In environments where hot, fast moving fires are frequent, some pine species have developed very thick, hard cones that are literally glued shut with a strong resin. These “serotinous” cones can hang on a pine tree for years, long after the enclosed seeds mature. Only when a fire sweeps through, melting the resin, do these heat-dependent cones open up, releasing seeds that are then distributed by wind and…
