this is the earth?

a poem:

this is the earth? then/ I don’t belong here.
A pencil drawing of a tree
we see through dirt —
symmetry in growth.
a disclaimer:
Roots do not grow as this artists conception indicates.

A portrait of a seventeenth century man,
a miniature man
one eye darkened.
each of his hairs’ successful long-term health relies on understanding their connectedness—
symmetry in growth.
Roots do not grow as this artists conception indicates.

is it possible to judge the claims of the miniature?

Parasitoids often have their own parasites
trees draw on soil
we have yet to exhibit in practice that understanding

xx Monique

**photos from hiking Mt Washington