I sit on the grass and listen to the earth purring
rose is thirsty
rose senses water
rose root rummages in the earth
rose root punctures lung and frontal lobe
rose stem is a green straw sucking
rose stem sways like a tail
rose thorn is a claw in my jumper
rosebud squints in midday sun
rose flower opens to trill its song
rose stamen twitches like a whisker
rose is miracle to witness
then rose slumps against the trellis
rose breathing slows, exhale of petals
rose pales and withers
but rose whispers don’t worry
rose will be back next summer
Claire Miller is an ecopoet based in Nottingham. Her poems are published in Magma, Structo, Firewords, The Letters Page, and on a big wall in Nottingham. She is currently working towards her first pamphlet. Follow her progress on Instagram: @clairemillerpoet