poetry by sydney hooper

Sundial

A field of blossoming chrysanthemums,   
delicately creased petals of peach and blush.
Spine presses against the earth,  
suffocating fragile stems  
as heels burrow deep into decaying grounds.  

 Pollen catches and scrapes the throat, 
their yellow centers mimic the blaze overhead. 
Soul furls and composes itself: 
basking, writhing, exhaling. 
Just as the tangerine desperately clings to its mother, 
fearing the eminent plummet. 

Rows rake into skin  
like shadows carved by the sundial. 
One is left with no choice but to  
plead with the serpent  
as dusk slips beyond the horizon.

Sydney is a poet and writer based in Santa Clarita, California pursuing her BA in creative writing. She draws inspiration from raw experience and the natural world in her writing, helping her make sense of the human condition. She was featured in The America Library of Poetry’s collection, Together. Her author page is https://www.sydneyhooperauthor.com/