Thursday, July 23, 2009

Potential

Somewhere deep inside me, under the gray hair and the age spots and weird whiskers, a single cell remembers what it's like to feel attractive. When I ride, that cell arches its back into the breeze and floats free, testing its power. It considers reproduction then remembers that's never really been an option in this body.

Six pear-shaped tomatoes ripen on a vine planted in a metal trash can on the deck. Before the tomatoes, before the blossoms, before the vine, a seed held their promise.

The cell and the seed, the tomatoes and me: we all reach for the sun and dream of more.

3 comments:

Deb Shucka said...

Reaching and dreaming right along with you.

Amber said...

Like poetry.

:)

George said...

Of course you feel attractive on the bike. Jerri, go dig up a copy of How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle by Frances Willard.