I am not a bouquet

of flowers from the nearest grocery store my petals

Weak and wilting 

For you to pick and pluck at

I am ivy growing green on the side of red bricks

my leaves venomous 

A promise that your touch will leave you with a wound

A reminder to 

Keep your hands to yourself!
a mother will scold her child 

Did she ever remind you?

Did I provoke you?

or did you forget that I am not an

Ocean

Blue and deep

waves enveloping your toes at the shore 

Inviting you inside 

to search and explore, to steal sea shells

and rip up kelp from your tread

Instead I am the sun you are escaping

My laugh loud and hearty

rays burning the tip of your nose

pink and swollen, burning

I am not

I am not

I am not

I am warm 

sandalwood soap

soft skin against white linen sheets

small stains go unnoticed  

Stay distracted by the kinks in my hair

the deep brown birthmark that creeps across my shoulder

patchy hair on my legs the razor missed

because surely I am not 

Leaves crunching under my body 

legs rooted deeply into the earth

Letters carved into my bark

I can’t read them