By Maria Tori ’24
Oh, how long have you been here?
Standing in the field, so thick the trunk,
and what branches are left, wide arms.
I imagine what your life must have
been like when this field worked
better as a floodplain and how
your roots must’ve carved out a
seat for something venturing by.
I wish I knew better how to judge the
age of a tree. I wish I knew better how
to rest in the arms of one for
longer than the world wants me too.
And there, you wish for nothing.
Still, with half your body gone,
you hang seeds off for the next generation.
I measure my arm against yours
and mold my hand into almost
falling leaf.
Maria Tori, who graduated from Bellarmine University in 2024 with Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Justice and Sustainability, is a Sustainability Specialist with Louisville Metro Government. She has published a chapbook of nature-inspired poetry, Ode to Not Knowing, through Kentucky’s Finishing Line Press and is a certified Naturalist and Science Advocate.