Author's Note: On an unusually busy Friday afternoon, I sat down to talk with fellow Iris writer Faith Leslie. I asked about her passions and inspirations. I wanted to know the things she was proud of, and the questions she wished someone would ask her. This poem is inspired by her responses, in particular, the nature imagery Faith conjured as she talked. In our interview, she mentioned her own writing, so I wanted to make sure I combined her words — her poems and interview answers — with my own throughout this piece.
I. The Forest
what do they ask, what do they wonder
as we move through the world
twinning, intertwining
from afar, they see one person, conjoined
and they never ask
how we differ
as i watch her grow into her own person
i am struck by her beauty
our roots remain forever interconnected
as we blossom into different flowers
her a carnation, while i become
an iris
our petals reach with outstretched hands
towards the sun
“reaching for sunlight, teaching me how to mend”
peace in each other's presence
among the rocks and trees
my place of refuge
my feet kiss the earth
and the morning sun’s rays
refract my joy
its warmth begs me to step out of my shell
cocoon cracking, petals unfolding
my rebirth, in full bloom
II. The Lake
in my salient memories
where i wander
to find myself
i can hear
the birds calling me,
calling me home
i hear softer sounds
“when living here, you learn to listen closely”
like the splash of skipping rocks
skimming across the water’s surface
dipping out of sight
before sinking softly away
at our lake
she sits next to me
my inner child
her fingers weave through blades of grass
as we watch the sun set
shifting the lake’s blues
her fingers lace with mine
two become one
as the sun melts into water
as she melts into me
she is my roots,
with her, i grow
To read Faith's feature on Jordan, see "Jordan Coleman Doesn't Care What You Think of Her."
