Plant flowers wherever you go

A contemporary poem from E.B. Johnson.

Photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash

said the old woman, turning regret between her hands.
“plant flowers wherever you go and then you’ll never 
want for color.”

i want for color in another place where they sow mercy
like a weed. i want for color in the dry ways and the by-
ways and all the

million fathomless ways we call them names and gnash 
our teeth as if i…