Emily Fernandez

SPIKEMOSS

Considered dead,
a tawny clump of dried twigs 
on dusty rock. But within
your leathery bones 
is a body rolled inward
in prolonged meditation 
absent of tears or sweat, 
thought to be victim 
of prolific sun and cracked 
river beds, you are asleep 
for the long haul, 
teaching us the virtues 
of paralysis.

A kind of magic sugar 
working miracles 
with salts to outlast
a sustained longing 
for soft mist to kiss the soil 
and seep to root. 

After the first rains, 
long into the new year, 
you will turn your open sign 
bright green, your 
wiry arms outstretched 
to a world that withers
in the heat of its desire
teaching us the surprise

of survival.

__________

EMILY FERNANDEZ IS A PROFESSOR AT PASADENA CITY COLLEGE WHERE SHE TEACHES COMPOSITION, CREATIVE WRITING, AND POETRY. SHE RECEIVED HER MA IN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. HER POEMS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN TINY SEED LITERARY JOURNAL, PANGYRUS, THE DEWDROP, ANGEL CITY REVIEW, AND SEVERAL OTHERS. HER CHAPBOOK, PROCESSION OF MARTYRS, WAS PUBLISHED IN 2018. SHE WAS SELECTED TO BE A 2020 MOVING ARTS MADLAB PLAYWRIGHT, AND HER PLAY CAGE AND LUNG WAS PROFESSIONALLY READ ONLINE IN OCTOBER 2020. SHE LIVES IN EL SERENO. EMILY-FERNANDEZ.WEEBLY.COM