This Spring

written & illustrated by By Sophie Lev

 

this spring,

the sky forgot to water the ground,

the ground forgot it could hold me up,

and i forgot to water the fern on my dresser.

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when the leaves dried into crunchy brown noodles,

i sang a song to grieve their passing, filled up my bowl and ate fern pasta for dinner.

 

i left in may, prematurely mourning the imminent death of my beloved fern, with its one remaining frond curled into itself for protection.

 

but a spring without water held lessons of resilience, and i have learned that ferns also have ears.

i returned to a leaf unfurled, and many more sprouting at the base. and this time, it sang a song to me:

 

do not wish yourself away when the seasons are unfamiliar. there are new rhythms waiting to be watered.